Who am I? Who are you? Are you me? Do you Like Me?[closed]

((Occurs Saturday, second week of fourth month))

The city of Vale was bustling with activity as always. The streets were filled with many people scattered about, busy with this and that.

A young wolf faunus girl was walking down the streets this sunny afternoon.

Rory was enjoying a nice walk outside on the streets of Vale. Feeling the energy of the urban environment, she was wearing a new outfit, her two wolf-ears poking out the holes she made in her hat.

"It's a pity Laura and Aeden aren't free today..." she muttered as she yawned and stretched lazily. "Maybe I should've just stayed home and napped...or I could nap here outside, but it's too busy...baaah...I'll buy a ham and THEN sleep."

Rory suddenly found herself surrounded by some street thugs, forming a semi-circle around her out of nowhere, her only option on walking being into a dark alley.

"Heeeey there little puppy," one of them cooed, "Want to have a good time?"

"Yo cutie, how about you go to a party with me?" another large and burly looking one ask.

The large group started crowding Rory to make her walk right into the alley.

Rory stopped in her tracks and then looked at the men surrounding her. She began to walk back and back and her eyes seemed to grow wide and tremble. She gave the men a worried look, one of her hands going to her chin innocently.

"Wh-who are you?" she said in a trembling voice. "L-leave me alone!"

“Come on girl, we just wanna show you a good time,” one of them snickered.

“Don’t you wanna have some fun, cutie?” another asked.

The punks cackled as they edged closer and closer, driving Rory deeper into the alley. One of them reached out with his hands as if to grab Rory. His sweaty, clammy hands drew closer and closer, edging towards her as she was driven deeper into the alley, nothing but a dead end on the other side.

Then suddenly the air smelled of mint and tea, a waft of smoke coming from nowhere.

“Who are you?” a voice came from behind Rory.

A man was sitting in the alleyway, his back against the wall. His body was wrapped in a tattered gray traveler’s cloak, a straw sun hat on his head, tilted slightly to cover his face in a shadow.

“Who are we??” one of the punks yelled, “Who are you!? You some alley hobo or something?”

“Am I?” the stranger asked in a murmur. “Am I a hobo? Hm… Maybe I am. I have no home and I do appear to be what one may assume to be a bum. I am also rather hungry and fairly cold. Am I a hobo? What is a hobo? What is a man?”

“Oh my god, he’s high,” the punk muttered, shaking his head in dismay.

“That’s a matter of perspective,” the stranger stated, slowly standing up and walking towards them. “From here I am firmly on the ground which from here is normal. But take into thought of the birds that fly above and to them I must be really low. Yet at the same time I am standing above many people, billions of miles above them. That is fairly high. Yet to those people on the other side of the world, I am billions of miles below the ground. That must make me low. Am I high? Am I low? Am I upright or upside-down?”

“I am going to put you underground myself if you don’t shut up!” one of the punks yelled. “Get out of here you bum! Mind your own business dammit!”

The stranger stopped walking, standing firmly in front of Rory, and staring right at the gang in front of him.

“You are making this girl uncomfortable,” the stranger murmured. “I suggest you leave her alone.”

“Uh~ How about no?” was the punk’s answer.

The stranger slowly took off his hat, lowering it gradually, not moving from his spot. He had a handsome and regal visage like a prince from a fairy tale. His eyes were narrow behind polished glasses and his long, silky, black hair was tied back. His expression was stern and cold, never once wavering. He suddenly placed the straw hat on Rory’s head and took several steps closer to the group, his ragged cloak rustling as he moved.

“My honor will not allow me to turn a blind eye so long as a lady is in need of my help,” the stranger stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh great,” one said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. “What are you, some gentleman?”

“Is that the western term for one who follows the code of honor and spirit of Bushido?” the handsome stranger asked. “… Very well.”

He suddenly threw his cloak off to the side, revealing underneath that he wore regal eastern clothing of blue silk-like material, the symbol of a caterpillar lying atop of a mushroom split into two like a yin-yang sewn onto his back.

“Then I… am a gentleman.”

“I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS LOSER!”

Two street thugs charged toward the regal man, arms extended as if ready to tackle him into the ground. As they rushed towards him, the man suddenly shifted to the side and kicked the ankle of one man with his left foot while striking the back of his neck with the side of his left palm, making him start to fall. While the punk was still falling, the stranger raised his arm and slammed his elbow against his back, making him slam into the ground. Rotated on his left foot, the stranger turned to the second street punk and wound back his arm, curling his fingers so the tips touched his knuckled and his thumb folded over his palm. With a lightning fast thrust, the man slammed the balls of his hand against the second punk’s chin and sent him flying into the wall.

The remaining punk stared at him with gaping mouths and wide eyes. The man raised an arm and gestured with his hand for the other to come to him, his expression blank.

The punks roared and charged towards him.

One tried to punch him in the face but the stranger caught the fist in the palm of his hand and sent an iron palm strike at the thug’s chin, knocking him out instantly. Another charged at him with a crowbar raised above his head. Not even paying attention to the weapon, the stranger slammed his knee into the thug’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him as the crowbar fell out of his hands a second before the man followed it to the ground.

The thugs charged at the stranger but without letting a single one pass him; he punched and kicked them into the ground as they dropped like flies. Soon, all of the street thugs were lying on the ground, not a single one of them close to the stranger, forming a clear semi-circle in front of him. Only three were standing now, two burly and muscular ones and the one that was doing most of the talking before.

“We’re going to end you!!” the two burly ones roared as they charged towards him.

Then suddenly the stranger jumped into the air, planting his feet against one wall before jumping onto the next and back again, going higher and higher until finally he was high up in the air.

The stranger pulled out what looked like an intricate pipe attached to a valve connecting to a weird pot that was hanging from his side. He placed the pipe in his mouth and murmured something to it before breathing in. He flipped around until he was upside down and wound his fist back as if to punch.

“Magarula,” he muttered. Then suddenly a high blast of spinning wind like a tornado blasted from the soles of his shoes and shot him downwards like a bullet.

The two thugs were staring up at the air in bewilderment. Something seemed to be coming down. It was big and blue. It came down like a missile, shooting towards them rapidly.

“Lucid Dream,” the stranger muttered, his fist covered in a massive translucent mass of blue aura in the shape of a caterpillar the size of an eighteen-wheeler, “Caterpillar Spirit!!”

Rocketing towards the two, the stranger slammed the giant caterpillar down on them, kicking up dirt and debris, as he slammed down hard with the force of a giant, stirring the air into a typhoon upon impact.

As the air would clear, the stranger would be standing at the center of a crater in the cement, the two muscle-bound thugs lying on the ground unconscious and stuck in their own indents.

“Be grateful I went easy on you,” the stranger muttered.

“HOW IS THAT GOING EASY??” the last street thug yelled. “BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT POWDER????!!!”

The regal man looked at the thug who immediately flinched upon his cold gaze. He remained silent. The stranger did not move or speak. He simply stood there, tall and stern, staring down at the thug who looked back nervously, his knees shaking uncontrollably. Then the thug turned around and sprinted, screaming for his mother as he ran out of the alley with his tail between his legs.

The stranger cracked his neck calmly and walked back towards Rory, looking down at her blankly.

“… Are you alright?”

Rory had only been putting on an innocent act in order to lower the guard of the scumbags that had tried to corner her. She had Holzfallen on both sides collapsed as handles but before she could even carry out her plan the weird oriental stranger came out of nowhere and attacked them. He wasn't just and he wasn't just strong, either. He had pulled out some strange instrument and created a weird caterpillar that had managed to make a large dent in the ground the size of small meteor crater.

She looked at the oriental stranger blankly for a while, her hands limp on both sides as she looked at him with an expression of wonder.

"That...was...AWESOME!" Rory shrieked. She ran up to the stranger with wide eyes of admiration, or fists balled up as she kept them close to her face. "How did you do that? Was that part of your weapon's design? Was that a semblance? I was planning to kick those guys' butts with my axes but you beat me to it and you sent them screaming! Not only that you looked so elegant as you did it! You're clothes look different, are you from here? Is that you combat outfit? you look so cool! I mean, just wow! If I had to pick the winner of the Oriental Fashion Show Contest, you'd definitely win! And-"

Rory seemed ecstatic but she stopped midway and her face turned bright red. She jumped back and cleared her throat, lifting her head poised and turned to the side.

"I am fine," she said as she folded her hands together. "Thanks."

"I am glad to know that," he said as he picked up his cloak from the ground and draped it over his shoulders like a cape. "No thanks is necessary. I am simply... a gentleman."

Rory's flush didn't leave her and she proceeded to scratching her head nervously.

"Err, well, thanks, anyways for helping me out..." Rory said. She extended a hand and smiled more like her natural, outgoing self. "I'm Rory, by the way. Rory Veiller. And you are?"

The stranger stepped back and bent his back into a perfect right angle, bowing respectfully to Rory. "I am-"

Then he stopped abruptly and stood straight up stiffly. "Oh, how rude of me," he said, "It must be strange being greeted like this. If I must introduce myself I must do it by the ways of this country. Now let's see..."

He placed his hand on his chin and closed his eyes in thought. "I recall reading a book where a man greeted a lady properly in western manner... I believe it went..."

The men bent his knees and lowered himself, suddenly taking Rory's hand and lifting it to his mouth before tenderly kissing it. "My name is Lao Tzu," Lao Tzu started, still holding Rory's hand, "Shen Lao Tzu."

Rory felt a jolt of electricity run through her body as the man named Shen Lao Tzu kissed her hand. Her ears twitched furiously left and right before flattening themselves on her head. When Rory took back her hand she looked hard at the ground.

"Uh..uhm..it's nice to meet you, Mr. Shen," she said.

Rory felt her mouth turn into a wavy line of embarrassment. She wasn't used to formalities. But either way, she knew she had to thank him properly. Steeling herself, she lifted her eyes to his and breathed out.

"There's got to be some way I could repay you," Rory said. "How about I treat you to something to eat?"

"You need not do such things," Shen said as he stood up. He turned his back to Rory and started walking. "It was my duty.... my duty... as a... gentle... man...."

Then suddenly the man collapsed onto his face against the alleyway floor rather ungracefully. He wasn't moving or made a single sound. Then out of nowhere, a rumbling gurgle came from his stomach.

"Hotdogs! Get your hotdogs here!" a nearby street vendor was shouting.

"Oh my goodness!" Rory said as she rushed over to Shen. She knelt down beside him and turned him over, he seemed to be breathing bu the gurgling sound earlier suggested he probably hadn't eaten in a while. Propping him up briefly and ordering two dogs and some sodas, she came back to him and tried to shake him awake, her face drawn with a worried expression.

"Hey, hey!" she said as she shook him. "Are you alright?"

If Shen responded, she'd continue. "You passed out so I'm guessing you're starving. Here, please eat this. You need energy."

Lao Tzu's eyes slowly opened as Rory shook him. He stared her for a while as she spoke and rose his right hand with his palm facing Rory.

"I can't possibly take food from-" he started saying in refusal when his stomach suddenly began growling in defiance. "... Thank you for your generous kindness."

Nodding his thanks, Lao Tzu gingerly took the hot dog from Rory's hand and stared down at it warily. He sniffed it cautiously and continued observing it as if trying to decide if it was safe to put into his mouth. Finally he took a ginger bit and chew for a while before swallowing. He remained silent for a while, his eyes closed as if in thought. Then without warning, he started scarfing down the foot long frank like a starving beast.

"This is delicious!" he practically wept, "What is this western cuisine called?"

Rory snorted as she tried to hold back her laughter but still gave off a small chuckle.

"It's a hot dog," she said smiling. "Basically it's a meat sausage that's wrapped in a bun and then lathered with sauces and stuff. I'm glad you like it."

She raised out her own hot dog sandwich.

"You look really hungry. You can have mine, I ate a ham roll earlier, so I'm pretty good for now."

Suddenly Lao Tzu had a grim and shocked look on his face, staring at his empty hands as if he had just did a sin beyond redemption.

"You... eat... dogs here....?" he shakily asked.

Rory stared at him blankly. And then let out a bawl of laughter. She knew it was impolite and she knew it was probably understandable for a weird foreigner to not know any better, but she laughed either way. She turned to him, her mouth twitching trying to keep closed and shook her head.

"No! Of course not!" Rory said trying to catch her breath. "They're called hot dogs, but they're usually made of meat trimmings from pork. Beef. Chicken, even. Heck, I've even heard of fish hot dogs, if you can believe that. Anyways, no. Eating dogs would be horrible. I love dogs, for one."

Shen placed a hand to his heart and let out a relieved sigh. "Oh good," he said. Placing his hand against the wall as a support, Lao Tzu pushed himself upright and stood up straight. He bent his back as if to bow but stopped. "Oh wait, how do people of this country express thanks..."

Shen dug his hand into sleeve, rummaging around until he pulled out a small red hardcover novel with letters stitched on reading the title as "You and I".

"Let's see..." he murmured, quickly flipping through the pages. "She turns to him with a glimmer in her eyes. 'I really had a nice time.' The express her gratitude she..."

Lao Tzu shut the book and quickly tucked it into his sleeve before looking at Rory. Then without warning he places his hands on her shoulders and slowly leans closer, his lips slightly parted, inching closer to Rory's face.

Rory was confused for a moment as she saw Lao Tzu going through a book but the moment he leaned over her eyes widened.

"Bwah! What are you--" she yelled. She slipped her arms against Shen's in order to swing them away before she stumbled backwards, her face bright red and her eyes full of panic. "What was that about!? You can't go and try to kiss people! Do you want tot go to jail or something!?"

"Eh?" Lao Tzu asked quizzically, looking honestly confused as he tilted his head to the side in wonder. "Isn't this how westerners express thanks?"

Lao Tzu rummaged through his sleeve and pulled out another book. This one was titled, "Soldiers of Love".

"The girl at the bookstore said this was good reference material," he said confusingly, staring at the book with a frown on his face. "This country has many things I need to learn..."

He tucked the book away and crossed his arms under his sleeves and bowed apologetically. "I am sorry for making you uncomfortable. I was merely trying to follow the ways of this country." He gradually rose and looked out into the streets. "Allow me to compensate you. If I may ask of you, may you show me to the nearest bank?"

Rory stared at Lao Tzu blankly when hearing the remarks on the book.

"Yeah...that's not a good reference..." Rory said before answering his toher question. "Well, honestly, you don't need to compensate anything. You did save me after all, but if you need the bank it's just a block or two from here after turning a left."

She paused for a bit. Does he know how to use a bank, I wonder?

"I should go with you just to make sure..."

The foreigner bowed respectfully saying, "I thank you for your consideration."

It didn't take long for the two to arrive at the bank. After waiting in line for a while, they made it to the front and was finally able to speak to a banker.

"How may I help you?" she greeted pleasantly, although she eyed Shen suspiciously. With his ragged cloak wrapped around his body, he looked far from a person you would expect to ever see in a bank.

"I'd like to covert some currency to lien please," Shen Lao Tzu stated stiffly.

"And what would you be converting sir?"

"This," he deadpanned, pulling off his cloak and dropping it on the bank counter.

The bank teller looked at the pile of cloth with a gaping mouth and an exasperated look on her face. She grabbed hold of the dirty fabric and lifted it up slightly as she looked back up at Shen. "Sir, we're not a pawn shop. You can't-"

Clink, clink clink...

The sound of clattering metal stopped the bank teller in mid sentence. She looked down to see three solid gold coin with holes in the middle of each one lying on the counter. Her eyes widen and she was completely still for a while. As if to test something she shook the cloak and more coins fell out.

Shakily, she lifted up the cloak higher to see the lining. The entire cloak had pockets sewn on the inside. One of them had a hole in it and gold coins were coming out.

The bank teller's mouth was seriously gaping now, the jaw trying too hard to touch the floor. It didn't take long for chaos to erupt in the bank. The commotion over the cloak lined with gold had all the bankers running around like mad, the sounds of calculator buttons and keyboard mashing resounding everywhere.

It was a while later when Lao Tzu and Rory finally walked out of the bank, sent off with a team on bankers showing far more hospitality to the foreigner then necessary.

Shen was looking down at a brand new Lien Card, plated a solid gold and shining, as they walked down the street.

"So I present this to stores to pay for things," he murmured, "And the amount is taken out of my 'account'? This country has many wonders." In his other hand was a bank book clasped in a leather binding. He flipped it to the first page and stared down at the number written down on it. He showed the number to Rory. The one number telling the lien amount in his account taking up the entire first page. "I am unfamiliar with the currency value of this country. Is this a good enough amount of money to treat you to dinner?"

Rory stared blankly at the amount of lien. He's kidding, right? That's..that's more than enough..heck, that could buy twenty, I'm guessing! Think of all the hams he could get off of that!

But instead of revealing her shock in fear of making him uncomfortable, she smiled at him sheepishly. "You could say you're pretty well off, yeah..." Rory said. And then, waving her hands dismissively, "But it's okay, you don't need to treat me to anything. Really! You've helped me enough today."

"No, you have shown me more kindness than any stranger would ever have to another," Shen stated, placing a hand to his heart and bowing slightly with his eyes lowered. "I can not allow myself to leave you until I truly pay that back. That is my honor... as a gentleman."

He slowly rose up and looked at Rory. "Whatever you may want to eat I will treat you... Oh, I read about this once..." Lao Tzu pulled out another book and flipped through it. "Two people of opposite gender... going out to eat... Yes. I believe this is what this country calls, 'Asking you out on a date'? Hm... what does fruit have anything to do with this? Do ladies like eating dates?"

"Uhh-err-uh....heh?"

Rory's ears stood straight and her tail was stiff. She was trying to figure out if Lao Tzu really was just an outlandish individual who was trying to figure out the things of the western world...or if he was just messing with her...or if he was, perhaps just insane.

'I-I think you're misreading that..." Rory said laughing nervously and snatching the book out of his hands. "Dates are....err...well....let's not call it that, shall we? An...outing would be more appropriate. Also the dates you are referring to are separate from the fruit...so...everyone has the option of liking dates or not...the fruit I mean...gaaaah."

Rory's hands came to the side of her head as she turned around and shook it.

"I don't even know what I'm saying anymore..."

She then turned back to Lao Tzu, her face almost a stronger tone of red than her hair.

"If you really insist...then I guess it would be nice to eat dinner..."

"I see..." Lao Tzu murmured, placing a hand to his chin in thought. "Well then, where would you like to go?"