|
|
Post by lei on Jul 2, 2006 19:22:48 GMT -5
"Why am I buying this?!" Lei murmured angrily to herself, her grip tightening on the large, slightly frayed, brown satchel that was currently filled with apples. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the marketplace, where Lei usually enjoyed being in -bartering for produce and vegetables until they were half the price of what they originally were- she felt a sense of rage. Oh no, it wasn't normal rage. It was the sort of rage that only occurred when her penny pincher of a brother could only induce.
If she hadn't known better than to waste food by chucking the whole bag into the mail shoot, Lei would've done it long ago, just to spite her brother. He had used the situation to his advantage, something she swore she would never allow again. Minding her own business in the corner of the kitchen, she had been thinking about new recipes for the surplus of cabbages her mother had bought from the somewhat...mental cabbage man that had passed by through their area a few days ago. Of course, during her break, Chin, her beloved brother, had arrived, and oh so innocently asking her what she was doing.
Saying "nothing" got her a large list of ingredients shoved in her face. Of course, she couldn't retort, Chin had slyly asked her when their mother was in the kitchen, so of course their ever-vigilant mother was listening in on them. Not wanting another knock on the head with her infamous spoon of doom, Lei had snatched the list, and coolly walked out the door, at least, without 'accidentally brushing her Bo staff against several of the pots that hung on a rack, coincidentally above Chin's head, sending at one or two on top of the younger boy.
Now here she was, just one more item on his list before she was finished. The mushrooms, sea bass, strawberries, and other sixteen items at the kitchen/bakery already, apples, one of the last two items already in her satchel. Looking at the list, she tediously began heading toward whichever direction she was already heading to, knowing she would run across whatever she was looking for there. Meanwhile, with her other hand, she slipped it into her satchel, pulling out a pale yellow apple, wiping the fruit on the front of her shirt before biting into the tart apple with a loud 'crunch'.
While her mind was busy with chewing and her eyes looking at the paper in front of her, Lei was unable to watch where she was going. Fortunately, for her, most of the people in front of her knew who she was and were kind enough to walk around the distracted girl. Yet, that didn't guarantee that she was safe. She was bound to run into another individual who was just as distracted as she was, and ironic as it is, that is what she did.
Simple mathematics really. Lei, who was walking a pretty fast pace, plus another person who was walking at oh...an average pace, add in a collision, and of course, there will be a backlash, which she found out just a few seconds too late as she sat on her rump, staring up at the bright blue sky and several high buildings. Oh, and a bird or two.
"Who the heck did I run in to," Lei winched as she sat up, unstrapping her Bo staff and placing it near her as she unceremoniously rubbed her lower back, looking around her for the other person she oh so gracefully collided in to, that and several of her apples around her, having flown out her satchel at the collision.
|
|
|
|
Post by choji on Jul 2, 2006 20:12:17 GMT -5
Choji was furious. She had been meandering along looking the various wears. When she had to run into some klutzy child.
She was in foul mood of recently. She lost to good sachets of rare herbs that are only found in northern parts of the Earth Kingdom and they are very exspensive. Most likely she put them in a spot that she normally check often.She'll find them again in a week or so. But at the moment she is very sore and foul tempered and what worse she ran into some bimbo.
"Gods bless it child! Watch we're ya walkin'. Can't ya see an old blind woman is stumblin' along here? Gods help me, what kinda manners do you ya parents teach you?" Choji's weathered hand flew around the ground for her cane. "Damnit, where is it?" She groaned looking franticly for her cane. She hate feeling weak like this. "Where is my cane.."
|
|
|
|
Post by lei on Jul 2, 2006 20:32:25 GMT -5
Apple in hand, another in midair for another apple nearby, Lei blinked once, twice, a third time before realizing who exactly she had ran into. She could just hear her mother scold her both verbally and physically for doing such a disrespectful thing, especially to an elder nonetheless. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!"
Frantically, Lei pushed herself onto her feet, rushing over to the shorter woman. Even though she had just heard Choji say so herself that she was blind, she couldn't help but bow multiple times, saying sorry three or four times with every bow.
"Um...uh..." Realizing her bowing and apologies were reaching deaf ears since Choji was more concerned about looking for her cane, Lei immediately dropped to her knees, crawling on the ground and raising the thick dust on the ground as she crawled across the ground to help her look for her cane. Hand touching a warm, age weathered piece of wood, a relieved smile appeared on Lei's dust smudged face as she presented the cane to Choji, just before she sneezed again. "Here you are ma'a-ACHOO!"
|
|
|
|
Post by choji on Jul 2, 2006 21:14:32 GMT -5
Choji snorted. "Thanks.." she growled loudly as she snatch the can from Lei hands, and tried to stand up. "Gods, what a stupid girl you are.." She seethed angerly as straighen up.
"I fear any whelp that you birth, with your brains." She hissed. She gave Lei a whack on head with her cane. Be for eyeing her irononicly. "Hmm, well? Are ya goin' to invite me to yer house as an apology or are to dense to do that?" Choji spoke with her harse voice and manner. She strighen her shawl and gown. She stared hard Lei with her filmy eyes and hard expression.
She gripped her cane and began to hobble off feeling very annyoed at Lei. "Well? Are ya goin' apologise to me properly or what you stupid cow?" She call to as she slowly moved down the path. Not really concerned that Lei would apologise or not. She just want to hear her reaction.
|
|
|
|
Post by lei on Jul 3, 2006 0:13:16 GMT -5
"Ai..." Lei rubbed her head, completely caught off guard with the sudden attack. Yup, definitely gonna be a sore spot in the morning. Could this day get any worse?
"Well? Are ya goin' apologise to me properly or what you stupid cow?"
Yup, got worse. Barely holding back her twitch, Lei stiffly nodded her head as she picked up the last apple that sat in front of her foot and placed it in her back.
"O-Of course ma'am," Lei muttered as she followed Choji, just before realizing her home was actually the opposite of the place. Lightly touching Choji's shawl before automatically moving away in suspicion of getting hit with the cane again, Lei spoke up. "Excuse me, but uh...my home, or actually, my restaurant, that's where my family is, is the other way around."
|
|
|
|
Post by choji on Jul 5, 2006 18:54:25 GMT -5
Choji felt her shawl being pulled and heard the voice of Lei. "Drat," she growled whirrling around again, as she moved to follow Lei.
"You're parents own a restraunt eh? Good I haven't had a decent meal in days, Hmmm though hope your parents are smarter than their brood. Oh I wouldn't be eatting a thing." Choji complained as she tried to dodge the carts and people. She sniffed the air, it smelled of animals and an approching storm. Yes. A storm was coming making travel very difficult. She mentally sighed as she continued walking. She hated strange places. New smells, sounds and touches. Very unconfortable for old woman like she.
"Are their yet girl?" She asked swinging her cane side to side. Finally Choji caught a familar odor of grilled meats and vegatables. Choji smirked. By the smell of their cooking. Lei's family where obviously very, very good.
|
|
|
|
Post by lei on Jul 5, 2006 22:25:37 GMT -5
"My parents are very good people," Lei mumbled, quickly dodging the throng of people heading her way. She wanted to get back to the restaurant as quickly as possible, if she accidently lost Choji on the way, well, too bad.
To her relief and somewhat disappointment, the duo did arrive. The old lady -quite agile for her age- had kept up after all. Darn. Opening the restaurant door, she kept it open for a few minutes to allow Choji. Whilst doing that, her mother came out of the kitchen, a rosy glow from the kitchen's stove. Spotting her daughter with unknown company, Chyou walked over, roughly clapping her daughter on the shoulder. "Now what do we have here Lei? A guest? Well why didn't you tell me you would be bringing someone with you? You're starting to get forgetful Lei."
Before Lei could answer, Chyou led Choji over to a booth in the quieter part of the restaurant. Setting the lady down, Chyou smiled hospitably. "Please, order whatever you want. Lei would be more than happy to serve you this evening."
"..." Lei merely looked up at the ceiling, wondering why karma was treating her so.
|
|
|
|
Post by choji on Jul 6, 2006 8:52:37 GMT -5
Choji blinked, a sign of irriation. Are the these people this dense? Couldn't they see her eyes? The grimy film? Choji had it, it was nice that see get to annoy Lei a bit, but her parents...geh.
"ARE YA STUPID?" She bellowed threw the menu accross the room and stood promply and thundered over to Chuyo and whacked her cane on her shin. Choji was tired and angry, and wanted to get home to her meger hut and sleep before for the storm hits. "You insensitive lout! Can you see I can't read!? I'm blind as a wolf-bat. I been this since birth!? Feh If you can't tell that, then it just shows me that your couldn't give a damn about customers! At least in my business, we care for both mother and child equally!" Choji stomped off outside not caring that it was raining, he had to get home to normalcy, and way from this family.
|
|
|
|
Post by lei on Jul 6, 2006 10:47:02 GMT -5
Lei wanted so badly to slam her head on something hard. So very hard. She glanced over at Chyo who was currently more stunned than worried about her small shin injury. Rolling her eyes, hoping her mother would just let the old woman go; her mother merely took a deep brother. An establishment owner never allowed a costumer, unless it was absolutely needed, to walk out the restaurant without a full belly.
"Lei." A stern look was all that was needed.
Wanting to whine and kick something badly, Lei nearly sprinted toward Choji, grabbing the lady before dragging her back. Well, whatever the lady did to her, it probably wouldn't hurt as much as her mother's beatings. "Come on ma'am, I owe you something for bumping in to you, and I hate holding a debt on my head."
"Besides," leading her back to the table, trying to keep her voice as calm even though the situation would've normally had her bringing the customer in the opposite direction. "You didn't even have to use the damn menu. Your sense of smell is probably keen right? Well, you could've just told me what you wanted, and the cooks in the back would've been more than prepared to cook it. There was no need to react in such a...unpleasant way. That, and it's starting to rain, it's bad to walk in the rain with an empty stomach."
|
|
|
|
Post by choji on Jul 6, 2006 11:38:53 GMT -5
Choji yanked away from her. "Leave me alone you stupid wretch! I don't care about that stupid debt. I just want to go home and get my bread and brothe in peace and away from this insensitive family. " The medicine woman glared at Lei before hobbling away in the rain. She was hungry, tired and throughly pissed off.
"You're food will probaly give me heartburn anyway..."
She said finally and wandered off.
It was rain very hard and ground was moist and soft making it hard for travel, not mention the rain was washing the scents way and making it hard to hear sounds. what a wonderful day indeed. She growled irritbly. Choji relized that she must be lost, none of the smell or sound felt familar. But the midwife did not panic.
"C'mon you old cow, get back to work." She told herself. Soak to the bone and completely lost.
|
|
|
|
Post by lei on Jul 6, 2006 13:07:18 GMT -5
Seeing Choji walk away, Lei has to push down the urge to hop around the restaurant, whooting for joy that the old lady was gone. Yet...a certain mother's glare was really making her feel guilty. Pretending to ignore, she was about to go back to the kitchen to see if any of the staff needed any help.
Lei shook her head in defeat, the guilt of leaving an elderly lady, blind nonetheless, on her own in the rain, was starting to well up inside. Stomping past her mother, she rolled her eyes as Chyou immediately handed her one of her large umbrellas and a bag of take out that was originally intended for another one of their customers. "I'll see you later. If I don't come back in a day or so, check Choji's place first for my body."
Opening the umbrella, she looked around, looking for the small figure that was Choji. Spinning around several times, she abruptly stopped, her face in the direction of one of the streets that Choji might've headed. Hopefully, luck was with her as she sprinted down the street.
Luck was surprisingly with her today. Even with mud on the ground everywhere, Lei easily jumped over them before reaching the old lady. She sighed, placing the umbrella over the old lady, shielding her from the cold rain, "You tell me I'm stupid, yet, you're out here without an umbrella. Smart."
|
|
|
|
Post by choji on Jul 7, 2006 17:22:10 GMT -5
Choji snarled a reply. "At least, I give look at my customeres before shoving them to the side." Choji gave a very bad cough. "I'm fine on my own thank you!" She coughed again relizing that she had a cold. "Look can you at least take me home, I need tea and a bed." Choji waved her cane around to tell where she was. Choji sighed, and pushed Lei out of the way and continued hobbling home.
The rain came down in sheet and Choji was getting tired, and the rain was soaking her clothes. She developed a bad cough on top of it. Choji stopped and breathe for a bit. She should have gone back and get some hot food and shelter. But that would mean staying at some strange place. Choji coughed again and stumbled again. She just wanted to go home. Where she can get some good rosehip tea and warm bed. Could things get any worse?
|
|
|
|
Post by lei on Jul 7, 2006 20:40:02 GMT -5
"My mother and I never said you had to look at the damn menu!" Lei retorted, stubbornly following the old lady with the umbrella. Damn morals. "You could have just said what you wanted, and regardless of what it was, the cooks would've made it for you. But no, you had to go and smack my mom with your cane!"
"I'll take you home if you tell me the directions from..." Scanning the area, her eyes narrowed at a local landmark, "The State of the Badger."
It was raining harder. Great.
Hick. "Heeeeey....an old granny and a pretty littla thaaaang..." Hick. A swaggering figure appeared from the local bar next door, his face flushed as he looked at the two with hazed eyes. "Where yaaaa'll goin'?"
A drunk. Even better.
|
|
|
|
Post by choji on Jul 8, 2006 11:56:01 GMT -5
Yep things just got worse
Choji snarled a reply, "The goddamn b*tch didn't even look at me. Thats why I was angry!" Choji coughed again.
"The landmarks are blurred. I don't have any visual land marks, I have audio and olfactoral landmarks. And because of this goddamn rain! I can smell or hear very well."
She tottered down road when she heard the drunk. "Heeeeey...an old granny and a pretty little thaaaaang *hic*" Choji shook her head. She walked over to the drunk and snorted. "Well, well, well. I see the bottom of human race, gets deeper." The drunk look questionally at Choji. "Heeey, who do ya think ya talkin' to, ya old bag?" Choji smirked.
"What? You think an old blind woman like me is a threat? Heheh, damn men are stupid. No wonder they are ones that love to wage war and get themselve smashed." The drunk stumbled towards Choji, fists raise, when the woman with a quick swing. Landed her cane in the man's groin. "Nice try," She laughed and hobbled towards Lei. "I hope that man never sires any children."
|
|
|
|
Post by lei on Jul 9, 2006 11:10:53 GMT -5
"What do you mean she didn't look at you? Why did you think she MADE me stay with you to serve you, huh? I'm more useful in the kitchen cooking the food than I am serving the stuff," Lei huffed angrily, wanting to thwack the drunk with her staff. Yet, to her surprise, Choji slammed her cane into the man where it mattered the most.
"That really must've hurt..." Lei winced in sympathy as the man crumbled onto the muddy ground into a fetal position, his breathing labored, his face red and scrunched into a pain expression.
"Ah...we had better go before his friends arrive," she murmured as she lightly steered the old lady down the street toward the middle of the town where the environment was probably better than the one right here. Holding the umbrella over their heads, "You'll have to tell me where your home is sooner or later. I would prefer sooner before I catch a cold."
|
|
