It was a beautiful day as Jessibelle stepped out of her house. "My, my, what a day." She walked down the street, greeting others as well as being greeted.
Eventually, she got out of the neighborhood and entered the commercial district of the town. She then, went to a street vendor, grabbed an ice cream cone, and sat down on a nearby bench. "Okay, time to create some characters." She whipped a notepad and pen from her purse and watched people walk by while eating ice cream.
She knew most of the people who walked by, so they weren't good inspiration. All she could do was hope that some visitor would wander past. Someone like that woman from the building she visited last night. She was interesting with that muscular physique and that horrendous armor.
She shook her head. "No!" She didn't want to think about that place. Did she really intend to make her wear that? She couldn't do that. She was a mature woman. A feminine woman.
Then, she saw a woman walking down the street. She was tall with a fiery red mane tied back in a French braid. She was wearing...that armor. What's more is she seemed to be looking at her. Was she coming her way? "Ack!" She looked away.
It didn't help, as the woman plopped down right next to her. Why did she have to sit there? What possible reason could she have had for sitting on this particular bench at this particular time? She was so panicked, she started shaking.
"Nice day, huh?" the woman asked.
Was she talking to her? What a stupid question. Of course she was? It'd be rude to not at least acknowledge her. "Sure."
It was silent for a moment. "Is there some reason you can't look at me?" the woman asked.
"What do you want?" Jessibelle asked.
"You caught my interest and I simply wanted to talk to you," the woman answered. "After all, you kind of stand out with the parasol, sun dress, and sun hat."
"Like you're one to talk," Jessibelle said. "You're so tall and wearing...that."
The woman leaned across her lap and looked her in the face with the brightest smile. "You stopped by my building yesterday, right?"
This woman was gorgeous. Jessibelle looked away. "N-no."
"It's no use lying," the woman said. "Your perfume is a dead give away. I smelled it all over the place when I returned last night. So, what brought you over?"
Her nose was that good? Maybe lying wouldn't do her any good. "I was just checkin' the place out."
The woman got off her lap and sat upright again. "That whip on your hip tells me something different. Simply having a weapon sets you apart from other people in this town. And those boots on you feet aren't just for fashion. They're functional and well-worn, clashing with your the rest of your outfit. I'm guessing that you were looking for others like you. People who like to go on adventures, putting life and limb on the line for nothing more than a thrill."
She was so close, but so far off at the same time. "I was just lookin' for people ta base characters on for my new book. I saw a Sexy Warriors poster on a buildin' and figured there must be all kinds of unique people in there. Instead, the one person I saw tried ta recruit me."
"It's no wonder," the woman said. "You're a cutie and we don't have a Southern belle-type yet. So what do you say? There will be plenty of adventures and people for you to base future books on. It'll be cheaper than hiring us and we get a new member. It's a good deal for both sides."
The thought of wearing that armor sent shivers through her body. "I could never wear that stuff. It's so...lacking." She remembered what the woman last night said. "Your name wouldn't happen ta be Shallista, would it?"
"It is," the woman said.
"So, you're the leader of the Sexy Warriors guild, right?"
"I am," Shallista said. "Why are you asking?"
"I simply must know why you insist on wear such unsightly, impractical armor," Jessibelle said. "It's uncivil and unladylike. Also, it reeks of stupidity. How are you still alive? You're so exposed."
"Short answer to your first question," Shallista said. "I don't like full armor. I don't like the feel of it. Also, I like to show off this body I've worked so hard obtain. As for why I'm still alive. I simply haven't been killed. I don't lose and rarely take hits. I won't lie, it takes a lot of skill to go into combat like this. At the end, though, I'm the one who's still standing. I like to view myself, my guildmates, and even barbarians as proof that it can be done. That you can wear sexy armor and still be a successful warrior."
She had a point. Barbarians were scary and some of them fought totally naked. And this woman had an totally unblemished body. If she took any hits, it was a very long time ago. This woman must have been some kind of monster, a warrior of unparalleled skill to constantly defeat more heavily armored opponents and not even have wounds. She would be an excellent protagonist for her next book. She just needed to see one thing. "I want to see how you fight. Take me on an adventure. I'll pay whatever you need me to."
"Are you sure you don't want to join us and experience the joy of wearing sexy armor for yourself? You can't really know what it's like until you try it."
"N-no," Jessibelle said. "I-I just want to observe."
Shallista patted her on the back. "You're not fooling anyone. Just join my guild, put on sexy armor, and get it over with. You know you want to."
"Gah!" Jessibelle screamed. "I can't!" She got up and ran as fast away as she could. She continued running until she couldn't run anyway, stopping near the city gate.
She hunched over, trying to catch her breath. Then, she found herself being shoved down from behind, faceplanting in the dirt. Was it Shallista? How dare she? "Stop it, idiot! I don't want ta join your guild!"
"Idiot, huh?" a female voice said. It wasn't Shallista's.
She looked back over her shoulder and saw five women in full armor staring down at her. "Oh, sorry. I thought y'all was someone else."
"I thought so, hick," the apparent leader of the group said.
"Hey, that's not called for," Jessibelle said. "And y'all didn't have ta shove me down."
"So you're tough, huh?" another of the women asked.
"N-no," Jessibelle said. "I was just sayin' that y'all were being rude. I apologized for callin' ya an idiot. Can't you apologize for shovin' me down."
"I think she thinks she's tough," another of the armored women said. "She's even got a whip."
A city guard came over. "Hey, don't start trouble, ladies. This is a peaceful town."
The women stared Jessibelle down. "Just don't let it happen again."
She watched as the women turned away from her. Shallista had gotten there at some point and the women caught sight of her. She then watched as they stared Shallista down.
One of the women rolled her eyes. "Ugh! Seriously?"
Shallista gave them the once over and said, "Don't be jealous."
"You give female warriors a bad name," the leader said. "Put on some decent armor, whore."
Shallista simply walked past them and walked over to her as the armored women stare at her in disgust. She knelt down and extended a hand to Jessibelle. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes, I believe so," Jessibelle answered, grabbing her hand. She felt Shallista's strength as she helped her up. She was so beautiful, yet so powerful. Jessibelle had no choice but to look away.
"Have I done something wrong?" Shallista asked.
"N-no."
Shallista looked back over her shoulder at the armored women. "Who really gives female warriors a bad name? A woman in skimpy armor who helps people in need or a bunch of armored twits acting like bullies?"
"You filthy trollop..." one of the women said, putting a hand on the sword sheathed on her hip and starting for her.
The leader held her back. "She's not worth our time. Look at her armor. We would kill the poor woman in seconds." The group turned and walked away, the leader lingering behind to stare her down for a moment.
"Are you sure it was a good idea to antagonize those women?" Jessibelle asked.
"I couldn't just sit back and watch them be idiots," Shallista said. "That's not the way of a Sexy Warrior." She then looked at Jessibelle with a bright smile. "You're welcome to come join the guild any time. All you have to do is show up." With that, she took her leave.
Jessibelle watched her walk away. She was beautiful, kind, confident, and had good morals. "Shallista…" What a woman.
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