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

"..."


Rory stood still, frozen in shock and horror and embarrassment, her eyes wide and her pupils shrunk so tiny that her eyes almost looked fully white. She was so shocked she couldn't run and she sort of stood there a little paralyzed, blankly staring at Lao Tzu's face and nowhere else because it was too frightening to think about. As Lao Tzu took the bathrobe and towel, Rory's tail straightened and its hairs were on end. She opened her mouth to speak but everything was more of a stuttering, whispery gasp. Finally, she squeaked out.

"Vale Culture lesson number one: men do not let girls see them naked," she said stiffly before mechanically turning about and walking to her room. It closed slowly behind her. From where Lao Tzu was he'd hear Rory screaming an elaborate detail of cuss words that he may or may not have understood.

Lao Tzu had already stepped back into the shower when he started hearing Rory screaming words that he had no knowledge of.

"Rory!?" Shen exclaimed in sudden worry as he heard her screaming. He ran out of the bathroom, grabbing the bathrobe and putting his arms through it and tried to look for the sash while running but all he found was some fuzzy rope thing which he did not know what to do with. When he reached Rory's room he swung the door open in haste. "Rory, are you okay?? I heard you screaming!"

When Rory had entered her room, she had been mechanical. Mechanically moving to her closet, then to her own sleeping clothes and just as she slipped off her blouse and skirt, there in her underwear, her eyes widened again and she began swearing and then screaming.

"MY BRAIN! MY EYES! OH MY GOSH I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I F-ING SAW! THAT WAS SO F-ING EMBARRASSING! MOTHER-MOTHER-MOTHER-MOTHER!!!!" she yelled as she clutched her head on the sides and shook it, trying to erase the site of a stark naked stranger in her shower, her face furiously red.

It was only then Lao Tzu burst in with nothing but his bathrobe on. A dozen thoughts raced through Rory's mind. Oh, glob. Did he hear all that? What if he did? Dang it, why did I leave the door unlocked?? Is he mad? Is he offended? Has this all just been an act on his part and now he's going to try and take advantage of a fifteen year old girl!???

It wasn't until she felt a cold breeze that she realized she was in nothing but her white underwear, tiny orange flowers spotted on them and trimmed with yellow lace.

Rory gaped at Lao Tzu before she fainted.

When Rory would awaken, she would be lying on her bed, covered in Shen's bathrobe. When she would look up she would see him sitting next to her bed, reading a book while watching over her. He was fully clothed in his previous clothing, although his still wet hair remained untied. Once he notices Rory starting to wake, his eyes would avert off to the side.

"I... I'm glad you've started feeling better..."

It seemed that the confused foreigner did have some morals after all.

Rory felt dazed and her head hurt a bit. When she touched the painful area, she felt a small bump. Looking at Shen she struggled to sit up, dizziness hitting the side of her head abruptly so that she had to grab the head board of her waterbed as is jiggled left and right.

"Ugh...what...what happened?" she asked Lao Tzu. But before Lao Tzu could answer, Rory's eyes widened and her face turned bright red seeing herself in the bathrobe. She lowered her head and clutched the robe closed tightly. "I..er...sorry about that.."

she muttered as her ears flattened over her head.

"N-No it's alright..." Shen muttered nervously, looking off to the side. "I just didn't expect you... to be... well..."

Apparently, despite his earlier nonchalance upon Rory seeing him in his birthday suit, Lao Tzu at least had the shame to be embarrassed to see a lady in her underwear.

"I'm sorry," Lao Tzu apologized sheepishly, "All day I must have been a bother. This country is just so different and new that I just wanted to try my best to follow its standards. I just wanted to act properly towards you and be... a gentleman... I guess in the end I just caused confusion. I really am sorry for all the trouble I have caused Miss Rory. If there is anything I can do to repay you, please name it."

Rory's hand went over to Lao Tzu's shoulder as she inched over, a small reassuring smile on her face.

"Hey, you did nothing wrong at all," Rory said softly. "You were only trying to do good and i'ts not your fault if things are a bit confusing."

Rory's ears drooped a bit. "I guess it also shows I'm a pretty lousy guide, huh? Hehe..."

From his shoulder, Rory petted Lao Tzu's head as if he were the younger one in the room.

"You've been great," she reassured. "I know a lot of guys, good and bad, so trust me when I say you're definitely a gentleman."

Lao Tzu started looking a little more cheerful, though he tried to hide this by looking off to the side. "Well then, why don't I be a gentleman and cook something for you?" he offered stiffly as he stood up. "You're probably hungry after waking up like that. I'll be borrowing your kitchen for a while. Please be patient..."

Lao Tzu left Rory alone in the room and went off to cook something for both of them in the kitchen.

"No, wait-" Rory said trying to stop him, but her head made the room spin again and by the time she could control it, Lao Tzu had left.

Rory's ears drooped a bit.

"Well, I'm sure wherever he came from they at least know how to use ovens..." she thought aloud.

She sighed and hugged herself.

"I simply don't understand men," Rory said. "Well, yeah, I mean he's a foreigner and all, but that doesn't change the fact that I barely know anything about guys. I mean, I can hardly figure out Aeden out."

The thought of Aeden made her sad a bit. Aeden, of course, was her "Onii-chan" but deep down inside he had always been something more to Rory. Not that anything would be happening, he getting married soon and all.

She then thought of Lao Tzu, who, in some weird way, was similar to him. Both of them were completely clueless about the cues of women and they both went out their way in order to be chivalrous which had totally ended in embarrassment on Rory's end.

"I just hope Lao Tzu will forget most of this when we're at Beacon," Rory said worriedly. Looking at herself, she realized it was time for her to change out of the bathrobe Shen had draped on her and into some real clothes. She made sure to lock the door this time and then opened her closet to find a pair of bright yellow pajamas.

Slipping off the bathrobe in front of the mirror, she was back in her undies, but she noticed the mark on her arm. It was a scar she had gotten when she was young, a bite mark actually. Rory looked at it now and suddenly felt a sharp pang from it as if it was new and raw. She clutched it and looked away from the mirror nervously laughing.

Don't be silly, it can't possibly hurt, she thought. She slipped into her pajamas and tried to calm herself.

"I better go check on Lao Tzu," Rory said, though it was more of to get things off her mind rather than see if he was setting the kitchen on fire...though Rory knew that was also highly possible.

A fiery blazing infernal erupted, blowing and bellowing out like the flames of hell.

... on purpose.

Stirring around meat and vegetables in a frying pan, Lao Tzu was stirring them about and tossing them while fire spontaneously ignited on the pan, constantly growing and shrinking. Then as he he stirred more and more the fire began to die down, leaving the oily stir fry seasoned lightly looking slightly charred and savory.

"You tend to pick up a few things when you're travelling," Lao stated as he saw Rory walk in. "I hope you like vegetable and beef stir fry."

The smell immediately filled Rory's nose and she looked at the set up, wide-eyed and her mouth slightly open. She closed it as she felt her stomach growling and her mouth starting to salivate.

"Now this is impressive," Rory smiled. "I never knew you'd be a good cook, no offense. Yes, I love beef and it looks absolutely scrumptious."

Rory began to hover around the kitchen and put two sets on the table for them to eat.

"So, where'd you learn how to cook like that?"

"Back in my country, I was taught thoroughly on the ways of the warrior," Lao Tzu said as he divided the stir fry between them. "Including how to survive and a little on how to cook. I always found my cooking lessons to be more enjoyable really. Fighting is bothersome. Eating is where anyone can find joy. In my travels I have come to heighten these skills. I must say though, it's a lot easier in a kitchen then with a campfire."

"It looks delicious," Rory said as she took in the smell of the food. She laughed a bit. "This looks better than most things I've eaten in restaurants."

Taking up a forkful, she slipped it into her mouth and began to chew, letting out a satisfactory hum. A hand came to her cheek as she closed her eyes in satisfaction.

"So good~" she murmured. "Liseran is good at cooking, but her stir fry's not this good at all. I wish I could eat like this everyday..."

"Well then," Lao Tzu said as he poked his fork into his part of the stir fry, "your wish is my command." The foreigner looked up at Rory. "Allow me to offer you my services as your cook in exchange for lodging."

Lao Tzu nodded as if a conclusion was already met. "It's the least I can do for the hospitality you have shown me. Besides, I have a feeling it will take a while before I get placed in a dorm once I apply to Beacon."

Rory's ears perked up at the remark and she couldn't help but smiling.

"That sounsd like a wonderful plan!" Rory said. "I honestly don't mind the company and you can stay here as long as you want. I'm honestly not that good of a cook, so if Liseran isn't here I usually just settle for eating my meat raw."

Rory laughed sheepishly and scratched her head.

"Well, I guess we have a deal then," Rory smiled. She had been quick to finish her food and she let out a small yawn.

"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted," she said. "You can leave the dishes in the sink and I"ll get to them in the morning. Perhaps it'd be best if we both retired after eating. Though you can sit around and read books or something. It's up to you."

With that, Rory dazily walked back to her own room and closed the door shut, leaving Lao Tzu alone in the strange little apartment.

Despite Rory's offer, Lao Tzu stayed in the kitchen and washed the dishes. He took his time until each one was sparkling and cleaned up the rest of the kitchen before walking towards the living room and sat on the maglev couch and leaned back, his fingers crossed over each other over his chest as he stared up at the ceiling.

"So this is it," Lao Tzu murmured, "The start of a new chapter... the start of a new dream..."

Lao Tzu closed his eyes and almost immediately he drifted to sleep.

He was a blue caterpillar, crawl up the shaft of a bamboo tree and started munching on the little leaves that stuck out. He crawled towards the ground and laid a atop of a blue flower and relaxed in the sun with its stomach full. Here he was perfectly safe, his blue color matching the flower's and hiding him perfectly from predators.

Yet he was uncomfortable. He did not want to remain hidden under the guise of this royal blue color. He did not want to sit on this flowery throne where he was safe. He was simply uncomfortable.

Then he looked up and saw it. A mushroom, pale as the clouds above, sitting in the open. He crawled towards it with his stubby legs and found himself lying atop the mushroom. It was a dangerous spot and chances are he would get killed. Yet, he sacrificed his safety ad his flower if only to enjoy this small comfort...

Lao Tzu awoke then. He was unsure of how long he had slept, but had awoken now. He sighed tiredly, looking up at the ceiling.

"Am I a man who dreamed he was a caterpillar?" he asked to no one in particular, "Or am I a caterpillar having a nightmare that he is a man...?"

From where Lao Tzu was, he would be able to hear Rory's door opening and slowly making her way to the kitchen. She wasn't wearing her pajamas anymore but rather a white nightdress, why she had changed, Lao Tzu wouldn't have known. Her eyes were wide open but their usual blue color was now a light steely gray. Her eyes didn't blink once and she didn't seem to notice Lao Tzu on the sofa. She moved into the kitchen and crashing could be heard.

Plates began to break as Rory rummaged through the cabinets and then the fridge.

"Hungry..." Rory muttered.

She pulled out a large slice of raw steak and then crouched down as she ate it with bare hands and licked off the excess blood from her fingers.

"Hungry..." she murmured again in a trance like state.

"What the..." Lao Tzu murmured. He slowly got up and followed Rory into the kitchen the moment he heard the crashing. His was a bit taken back as he saw Rory devouring a raw steak, crouched like a feral creature. He approached her cautiously, murmuring, "Miss Rory? Are you okay?"

Rory turned around sharply before standing up startled, her back against the fridge door as she looked at Lao Tzu perplexed as if he were some sort of stranger.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Her voice filled with panic as well as threat.

"What?" Lao Tzu murmured. "Miss Rory, it's me. Shen Lao Tzu. What's going on? Do you need help?"

Rory looked at him with furrowed eyes. Her wolf ears twitched and didn't seem to be able to comprehend the name. She looked at him in a dazed manner and then her anger seemed to leave her. Her eyes got wider, as if entranced by something, and her head limped sideways.

"I...I don't know you..." she muttered. She winced and her hands came to her head. "I don't know you....no...you're a stranger...stranger...I don't understand..."

Suddenly, as she looked down to the floor Rory found that she was no longer standing on tiles, but a grass floor. The room was no longer bright with white light, but dim with the silhouettes of running people and crashing houses reflecting on the small light from burning fires. The room wasn't silent but filled endless noise and screaming.

Hey, lookie, if it isn't a little faunus girl.. a wicked voice said.

Rory looked into the direction of Lao Tzu but saw a shaded figure instead with bright eyes and an evil smile. The eyes turned red and the figure morphed in front of her and what she saw now was a Beowulf grinning and growling at her.

Rory screamed as she backed away from Lao Tzu.

"NO! NO! NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she cried out.

"Miss Rory! Calm down!" Lao Tzu said as he approached her, raising his hands in front of him to show he meant no harm. "Please miss Rory, I mean you no harm. Please, tell me what's wrong."

Though Lao Tzu spoke calming words, they came out as sinister ones said in low growls to Rory. She inched back as much as she could but she was against the wall and everything else was fire and grass and there was nothing but a Beowulf in front of her. Rory shook her head slowly in disbelief as her hand made its way to the cleaver she saw on the floor.

"No..." Rory whimpered. And then clutching it tightly, her eyes wild and angry, she shouted. "THAT'S A LIE! YOU'RE A LIE! GO AWAY!"

She charged forward to leap on Lao Tzu, the cleaver high in the air ready to slice through his head if he didn't move out of the way.

With quick, sudden movements, Lao Tzu's hand shot out and grabbed Rory's wrist in a firm grip, keeping the blade away as Lao Tzu held onto Rory's other arm.

"Miss Rory, please," Lao Tzu pleaded, "I want to help you. Let me help you. Please miss Rory. I don't want to hurt you. I'm here for you so please let me help!"

Rory didn't understand how the cleaver was being held up in the air by the "Beowolf" but she tried to force it down with all her might. Finally, she pulled back only to swing the cleaver out of her hands and against a shelf with dishes, causing some to fall and shatter. Rory clutched the sides of her head.

"Go away..." she muttered. "Please just go away....GO AWAY OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Rory!" Shen yelled suddenly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, "It's alright. Everything is fine. Your safe Miss Rory. Please, calm down. I'm here now. I can protect you. I will protect you. So please calm yourself..."

It's alright. Everything is fine. You're safe, Rory. Lao Tzu's words had changed in her ears and who she heard instead was her uncle. Her kind, cheery, brave uncle. The man who taught her that someday, she wanted to fight the Grimm too. For a moment, Rory relaxed as Lao Tzu held her. She still couldn't see the kitchen as a kitchen nor was she, in fact, oriented to anything. Her eyes were still wide, but she lowered her head and dropped her arms. Her voice ached form screaming but she managed to whisper one more thing to Lao Tzu.

"Uncle Zeph?"