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 Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 5:23 pm
Nine o'clock had come all too fast, and the darkness of night arrived unusually early that day. The Winter did strange things, making the day come early and be as bright as Summer but cold as ice and the nights were long and frigid. Most of the snow had been plowed to the sides of the street and the roads and walks were all salted.
The salt was making Salem slip a little in his new rubber boots.
Tier had been so thankful that the store had a dressing room so Salem could be out of sight to try everything on, but a lot of the things they had also gotten had to wait until they got home. There would be a lot of experimenting with costume make ups and things like that until Salem was able to pass for a normal human child.
In one of Salem's hands, clutched tightly, was a small bag with a new pair of gloves and a scarf he had picked out himself. His prized possessions of that adventurous day. The other was holding tightly onto three of Tier's fingers; his father was quite tall while he was small, so holding his hand comfortably while they both carried bags was a challenge. Eventually they just settled on his fingers. Tier's bags were much heavier and he had a few slung over his elbow while the others he held close to his chest. Some contained clothes for him, some snacks and treats, even some toys for Salem, as well as some books and a new lamp among some other furnishings.
Why not get all of the shopping done in one go?
Of course, now this meant he was low on cash. In fact, he only had a ten spot in his wallet at that very moment. He needed to be hired, badly.
"M-my feet hurt.."
"I know, hon, we're almost home, though, and then you need to go to bed," it felt so strange hearing those words come out of his mouth. At that moment, Tier thought he sounded more like a mother than a father. Maybe the 'hon' was too much.
Salem shook his head. His eyes were burning with exhaustion but he didn't have a free hand to wipe them under the big black sunglasses. A kid wearing sunglasses when the city was this dark was probably going to be pegged for a blind one. Less attention, the better.
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:21 pm
The cheerful jingle of the bell over the door and the call of the convenience store clerk of "thank you, come again!" followed Huan Yi and Tsuji out into the street. The cold night air did little to sting their faces as they moved onto the icy sidewalk, only having had a small reprieve from the weather when they popped into the store late at night. William was doubled over at home with grading papers (the instructor was sick so he was filling in temporarily) and they had run out of coffee. Rather than stay with the grumpy man, the young Ashe clung to Huan Yi and wouldn't let go, no matter how late the girl insisted it was.
So here they were. Tsuji clung onto Huan Yi's free hand, while the other held a small plastic bag, containing the newly acquired coffee grounds and cream. A muted rumble came from the child, and the girl felt a twinge of guilt for not getting something for her.. it was just that being out late at night made her nervous.
"'M hungry," Tsuji grumbled from behind her thick scarf. Huan Yi gave her a sympathetic smile as she looked over the worn coat, small boots, and matching hat and gloves that the Ashe was wearing. Lucky for them that they hadn't gotten rid of her childhood clothes. As much as she wanted to buy Tsuji new things, their budget wasn't allowing much room for that.
She would probably need to get a part-time job.. no, it was a given considering the eviction notice given to all the tenants of their apartment building. Money wasn't going to make itself, and she wanted to make sure Tsuji had nice things.
"I know, Tsuji.. I'll make you something when we get home, alright?" She sighed softly and squeezed her hand as they hustled along the sidewalk. "Let's take a shortcut through the park then." With a tug on her arm, the child tottered to her side as they crossed the street towards the darkened trees, her grip surprisingly strong on the short girl's fingers.
But as they approached the park, low laughter and talking whispered to them from the gateway. Huan Yi's walk slowed from a quick walk, until she stalled cautiously. Three figures looked up from the archway and let their conversations stall, and right away warning signals went off in her head.
'I should've left Tsuji at home,' she thought nervously. 'Must be brave, come now, you're being silly. Just pass right on by..' She gave Tsuji's hand a squeeze, and the Ashe tilted her head in concern at her but marched next to her proudly as they approached the three strangers.
'Just pass right by, don't look at them..' Tsuji glanced out from underneath her knit cap and eyed them suspiciously, with ill-disguised distrust. One step, then two.. Huan Yi swallowed quietly as they approached, about ready to pass by. They were gonna make it, they were--
An arm extended from one of the men leaning against the archway to block their path, and in the dark the two could see his strange smile.
"Where're you two little ladies headin' to in such a hurry?"
Huan Yi felt her eyes start to water nervously. This wasn't good. She made an attempt to push Tsuji behind her, but the girl didn't budge. She tilted her head at the man and turned her nose up in dislike.
"Home. What's it to you?" Her guardian paled.
This really wasn't good.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:27 pm
The poor boy was beginning to slow down but he didn't ask to be carried, no, he knew that would be too much for his dear father at the moment. After another block or so, the two stopped and Salem let out a small squeak of a sneeze.
"Maybe there's a short cut..." at a dad!
Salem looked up at him gratefully but it was hidden beneath the glasses and few scarves. Luckily all of the wrappings Tier gave him were keeping him comfortably warm even if it wasn't making walking the easiest thing in the world.
Awkwardly tilting himself to the side, Tier let the small Ashe grab his hand firmly to cross the street before reverting to a more comfortable stance. There seemed to be a park up ahead but it was a little hard to tell when things looked so different in the dark, plus the city was new. Salem was lucky to have a semi-city wise father or else the both of them might have ended up in a similar situation to... that lady, there.
They hadn't quite made it inside yet, just passed the gate's threshold, but there stood five figures; three male, one female, and one child. Under different circumstances, Tier might have thought about single moms but this just didn't seem right at the moment.
Now he was conflicted; if he wasn't a new found "father" he might have stepped up but he now had some one else's safety to look out for. Three against one wasn't very smart, but there was no need for three to take on a woman and child, either.
What to do...
"Wh-what is it?"
Tier knelt himself down and let the bags rest against the grass, keeping his voice low, "I don't think it's safe here..."
"But... but that lady..." Salem matched his volume.
"I know, I know... But I don't think we should get involved..."
The small boy let go of his blue-haired guardian's hand and set the bag in the grass with the others, "I-if... if some one's in trouble... you should help them... right?" Every time he looked at the smaller figure he felt a tingling familiarity. In truth, it was making Salem a little nauseas, or maybe that was just nerves, but he knew ignoring them would be bad.
And Tier couldn't help but smile. "Stay with the bags, keep safe. Don't move," he reached up and stroked the side of Salem's hood, watching him dart off to hide behind the large bags as if they were a fort. The decision was made and he was on the approach, putting his hands in his pockets and getting out a cigarette as if that would make him more intimidating to these three men. Probably not, but he also needed a good smoke since he refused to do so in within proximity of his "child".
"It takes three guys to handle a mother and child, now?"
Whether this was right or wrong wasn't in question, Tier was just worried if this was stupid or not.
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:13 pm
Huan Yi's hands began to tremble. This is exactly why she didn't go out at night, and while she hated feeling like such a weak little girl.. now she had somebody to take care of, and this certainly wasn't her idea of doing a good job.
"Mama?" Her heart thudded as Tsuji said these words to her. Mama? It was the first time she had called her that. The timing wasn't appropriate, and to be honest she was scared, but no fear seemed to really be reflected in the Ashe's eyes. Childish ignorance is bliss..
"What's the matter?" Another came over and rested his hand on her shoulder. Tsuji squeezed her hand protectively as he approached her. "Little young to have a kid, aren't ya?" He grinned, and the others chuckled. Whatever was lurking behind that grin made the fearful tears that threatened her eyes slowly roll down her cheeks, and she quickly bowed her head to hide her moment of weakness. However the impression was not lost on the Ashe child, whose eyes flashed with youthful anger as she turned her head towards the approaching men.
"We don't like you." Tsuji's eyes looked impudent, and Huan Yi's face paled. "Go away."
"Tsuji, don't--" Huan Yi leaned over to hush the child as she moved free from the stranger's grip, fearing for her child. The girl's yellow eyes widened as her guardian's hand clapped over her mouth gently. She didn't want her to provoke them, lest they decide to do something...
But a new voice called out and interrupted the moment. The men swiveled their heads towards the pathway from the street, and Huan Yi and Tsuji's eyes followed them. Another man was standing there.. lankier than this bunch, with hair a violent shade of blue that brought Tsuji's own hair color to mind. The cigarette he held to his lips definitely gave him an intimidating air.
"Who says that's what we were doin'?" The one closest to the girls put his arm on Huan Yi's shoulder casually, making the girl gasp and shudder. "We were just talkin', that's all.. carry on." Tsuji narrowed her eyes at this burly man as she eyed his arm, before she looked to the newcomer. Her guardian's eyes looked to him too. How pathetic she must look right now, even though she couldn't tell if she were still crying or not, since her cheeks were numb from the cold.
The presence of this interfering stranger gave her a bit of courage though, and she said in a shaky, quite voice, "L-let go of me.. p-please." She was terrified.. for Tsuji, less so for herself.. but at least knowing somebody had come to help them.. it gave her a little more courage.
But what she lacked in courage, Tsuji seemed to have in abundance.
"Hey, let go." She growled at the man, no trace of nervousness in her voice. "You heard Mama; get off."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:31 pm
Salem obeyed his guardian's demand to a T and huddled behind the bags, barely even daring to peek over them but peek he did once he heard Tier's voice. He was scared, for all of them, but knew he could do little to help and now he had to make Tier proud by keeping himself and their new possessions safe. He would do it.
"We were just talkin', that's all.. carry on."
"Yeah, that's sure as hell what it looks like," Tier chanced himself getting closer but he did so slowly, not wanting to provoke the men any more than he already was. His teeth bit down hard on the cigarette and he tasted the filter when he heard the woman's plea, so shaky and unsure, scared for her daughter's life. Just like him.
"Hey, let go. You heard Mama; get off." The second child he had met recently, this one more fiery than the last and his own. She seemed very sure of herself but all that came to mind when she let out a growl was a small cub. A lion cub.
The men laughed; a lanky blue haired man and a tiny blue haired girl were far from intimidating but quite the pair. One of them patted the man holding Huan Yi's shoulder and moved to the front of the pack. They were like mangy wolves that hadn't eaten in days, or in reality's case... He charged at Tier, fist colliding with his cheek and down the blue haired wonder went.
"Don't you listen? This isn't your busine--"
A lanky leg flew up from the concrete path and slammed against the back of his attacker's legs, sending him on his back. Tier was back on his feet; he didn't have a great deal of physical prowess, but he was quick and that would be a big help. There were a lot of witty things he wanted to say but none of them were forming fully and they would have all come out corny anyway or otherwise inappropriate so he decided to keep himself quiet and kicked the one he had downed in the stomach.
Not very fair but neither was the situation.
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:09 am
"Oh!" Huan Yi cried out when the other man spilled to the ground. He had come to help them and now he was getting hurt on their account.. she had to do something, but she was so terrified she felt frozen to the spot. A thrill went through the two of them as the man sprung back and kicked his assailant in the back of the legs.
"Little punk." The man who stood to her side growled and made his way over to assist him, and Huan Yi reached out anxiously at him to stop him. He was handling his own well enough but with two.. and if the third man decided to join in..
"Leave him alone!" she cried anxiously. Tsuji watched her hand reach and miss for the back of his shirt, and giving one swift look to the blue-haired man again, she slipped her fingers from her guardian's and ran at the bulky man, giving him a sharp kick in the back of the legs. It likely was moreso because of the surprise of the impact, but the stranger fell to the ground and met the pavement face first.
"Tsuji--!" Huan Yi reached for her as the third man rose and came over to seize the small child. All three of them had joined the fray - this wasn't good. A small child, a scrawny teenage girl and an older but pretty lanky man against these three--
Huan Yi's heart jumped to her throat when Tsuji jumped on the felled man's back as she scrambled to get away from the one coming after her. She gave him a impish look over her shoulder then glanced back at her guardian as though wondering what to do about her. Her fingers reached out for her "mother", as though to tell her it was time to make a run for it. "Come on!" Heart hammering, Huan Yi stepped around the man on the ground and made to reach for her small fingers..
When a hand grabbed her leg and pulled her to the ground. She screamed and flung the plastic bag in her hands at his face, and Tsuji's eyes flickered dangerously, like a feral cat. She charged forward and began to pull her away before the third man that had watched from the sidelines knocked her away. She tumbled a short distance into the small pile of bags that the man had left discarded.
'This is trouble, we're not going to get out of here,' Huan Yi panicked, 'Oh god, Tsuji's hurt, what now--'
A flash of red and blue illuminated the sides of the darkened buildings and a blare of sirens followed, and immediately the struggle stopped. The two men on the ground raised their heads and looked around as anxiety filled their eyes, and the two of them scrambled to their feet and stumbled off towards the park as the sirens approached. Their companion hadn't waited for them and had long since left them behind.
The police cars circled the roundabout by the park and drove past, but Huan Yi didn't waste time. The fight-or-flight instinct had kicked in, and since the fight had passed, running was all that was left. She scrambled to her feet and ran to the young Ashe child who lay on the soft bags. Only a few of the contents had managed to spill out.
"T-Tsuji! Are you alright?! Oh my--" A large bruise was forming on the girl's left cheek as her hat slid off her head and the blue hair came tumbling out from underneath. She opened her eyes and blinked, whipping her head around to check that the assailants were gone. "I-I'm so s-s-sorry.. I couldn't protect y-you.."
And then she was crying again. Not long into this and already she was doing a terrible job. The young girl's tanned face turned away from her as she scooted off the bags, and through blurry eyes her guardian spotted a head of violet hair sticking out from beneath a black hooded jacket.. buried beneath the bags. Huan Yi's eyes opened wide and she began to reach for the child, when Tsuji rolled over and shook his shoulders gently.
".. Are you dead?" the Ashe said simply, curiously.. and it sounded rather cute. But the situation they had been through was far from cute. She spun around to face Tier, the one whom these bags - and apparently this child - belonged to. The girl rose to her feet and ran over towards him, stepping over the remains of her bag and the coffee grounds spilled over the stone pathway.
"A-are you okay, s-sir?" She called to him in concern, and her voice sounded high-pitched and strained. "Y-you're not.. hurt too badly, are you.. ?" She was so relieved that it was over. So very relieved.
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:44 am
Everything after that went by fast and Tier had nearly lost himself in the adrenaline, the rush. He'd had to defend himself before, such as it was in this world, but never had he been tasked with protecting another and it made him feel some what higher, more important.
Privileged.
The loud sirens broke through everything, shattering his mind's glaze of battle and he was no longer the warrior he had imagined just seconds ago. No, he was Tier again, a twenty-two year old smoker who had a child just like this woman. He couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly as the men fled, cigarette dropping limply from his mouth--it was a wonder that it had stayed that entire time--as he sat himself down right where he stood on the concrete path.
What had just happened?
Looking around, it was hard to see just where he had put the bags and poor Salem and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand pin-straight when he found them, toppled over. Damaged.
"Salem!" without thinking, Tier pushed himself off of the ground and rushed forward, nearly falling flat on his face at first but he righted himself and ran on, only to skid to a halt seconds later.
"..Are you dead?"
The way she said it was deceiving to him; it may have come out cute and innocent but the words nearly made him collapse. Pace slowed, he continued forward, only becoming reassured when he heard the familiar hiccups of his small boy.
"Salem..." he sighed, relief so widespread that he barely registered the poor woman whom he had just helped defend.
"Y-you're not.. hurt too badly, are you.. ?"
Now that he was calm enough to think about it, his face was pretty sore. Got him right in the jaw, too, didn't he? Tier brought a hand up to rub where he had been hit before the distance between all four of them was closed, "No. No, I'm alright..." But was Salem? Whispering an 'excuse me' to the small girl, he bent down to be level with his small boy.
Tears streamed down Salem's greyish cheeks, making the red marks beneath his eyes appear shiny in the limited lighting. Oh god. Oh god. Where were his glasses? His hood was askew, the scarves had unraveled and the sunglasses, where had they gone!? Moving a bag off of his back, Tier picked Salem up and attempted to simultaneously hide his face from the two girls and comfort the crying boy. It was probably too late for that and the look of apprehension on his face was clear.
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:22 am
The man's concern for the little one buried behind the bags rather than himself made Huan Yi wonder.. was this child his brother, or was he a parent? He looked so young.. but then again so did she, and she was just mistaken for being a parent. The way he fell to the ground and dug for the small boy before holding him to his chest tugged at her heartstrings.
That is what parents were supposed to do. He knew what he was doing.
Tsuji scooted away to allow the man to look after his child and looked at Huan Yi. She clutched the beanie in her brown fingers and gave her guardian a wide smile as she edged closer to the two, rocking back and forth on her heels. She made to say something, but the innate panic that their companion had felt after discovering the boy under his bags made the alarms go off in her head.
"What is it?" she asked again as her senses went on high alert, slowly approaching him to assist. Tsuji merely looked to her and grinned, the stark contrast of her white teeth on her tanned face making Huan Yi notice the bruise on her cheekbone even more, as well as the strange curving gold tattoo on her face that shined oddly on her face.. "T-Tsuji, put your hat back on--"
But it was too late. The child tottered over towards the man and boy and plopped down in front of them to sit on her knees. She eyed his greyed skin and the bright red marks that streaked his face, as well as the bright shade of his hair.. and the slightly pointed ears..
"He's like me, isn't he?" Tsuji grinned and tilted her head, watching the two before her for their reaction. "He's not a human." Huan Yi blinked. Not a human? Surely her encounters with other magical creatures had given her enough indication that they could more or less sense their own kind (somehow - was it an innate link or something?), as well as the child's outlandish appearance.
Her cheeks flushed as she thought about saying something. She had told Tsuji what she had learned from the others she had met while protecting her egg, about the Ashes.. or at least what she'd known. This man had to know what he was by now, but just in case--
"You're an Ashe, right?" Tsuji got there before Huan Yi could even open her mouth. The little girl rocked back and forth on her legs as she leaned forward curiously, then pulling back from them with her cocky feline smile.
"Tsuji," Huan Yi interjected at last as she came to join them, and she gently rested a hand on Tsuji's ruffled hair, "Come now.. give them a moment to breathe." She turned towards the two of them apologetically, and her eyes caught sight of the child in his arms.
To be honest she was taken aback at first. The red markings that ran like blood down his face, and the grayed skin and stitched scars around his neck.. he looked like he were dead. However, he breathed quietly and hiccuped, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
He was different, but now the poor thing was scared. His "parent" looked scared as well (in a manner of speaking) as he shied from them to hide his appearance. It was.. surprising, sure, but the presence of these eggs had only heralded surprises in the young girl's life.
"Is he alright?" she asked softly as her eyes looked at the child sympathetically. Tsuji shifted next to her and crawled closer on her hands and knees to join Huan Yi. "I hope he's not hurt--"
A low rumble interrupted the thought, and her eyes flickered to her young Ashe, who grinned and wrapped both hands around her stomach. The guardian's eyes looked around to the discheveled mess of bags, and then the remains of the coffee grounds nearby. Looks like she'd have to make another trip to the store. However..
"Thank you so much for your help." Huan Yi bowed her head to the man as her cheeks flushed a darker shade. He had helped them out of such a tight spot. "Please.. let me do something to thank you." As she said this, her hands started working automatically to refill the bags and set them upright neatly. "I know that.. t-that my little one here is hungry, and I'm sure that this poor boy is probably very shaken and i-it's rather cold out tonight.. may I treat you to something?"
It was meager, but she had a few dollars to spare. She had the emergency credit card that she shared with her brother - and in this situation he'd understand. It's something she wanted to do.
"Please allow me to thank you." Her face felt warm and she kept her eyes guarded, still not quite ready to look this man fully in the face, lest she become too nervous to speak properly. "Y-you did so much for us tonight.. I would feel wrong in doing nothing."
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 3:02 am
As Salem hiccuped away, burying his face in Tier's thick sweater, the man gently rocked from side to side and rubbed his back. Poor thing. Even if he wasn't hurt he had seen his not-father get into such a dangerous situation, had coerced him into it. When they were at home again, safe in the apartment, Tier would be sure to tell him not to regret this. It was a good thing that Salem had persuaded him to intervene.
Tier's attention was somewhat broken by movement and he watched the tan-girl approach, plopping herself down right in front of them. That smile...
"He's like me, isn't he?"
His blood ran cold. All motion ceased and both of his arms wrapping tightly around the boy.
"He's not a human."
Not a...
"Wh-... what?" Salem sniffled, turning his head just enough for him to hear better and for some of his markings to be as clear as day, "Not human..?" The words were repeated as if they were alien. Of course he had felt something akin to this ever since he had hatched, but could it really have been he was so different that he wasn't even of the same race as his father? Confusion replaced all prior sadness and fright and Salem looked up abruptly at Tier as if he knew the answer to all the questions forming in his mind.
Tier had none.
"Salem..." he started, but the girl said something else. An Ashe? What the hell was an Ashe? The more Tier watched the girl the more unsettled he became; not even Salem's appearance was on par with that devilish smile.
So, unable to formulate a proper response, Tier turned his attention instead of the girl's "mother". He started to ask what the child was going on about but she apparently didn't hear it and he couldn't blame her, his volume was greatly diminished when he wasn't feeling sure of himself and now was one of those times. "No... I think he's fine. Right?" She wasn't wigging out, not screaming and running away, not calling his baby a freak. The weight on his heart was cut and it practically floated into space.
She didn't care what he looked like.
"I-I'm... okay..." just to show, he held his arms out and flapped them against his sides a few times. Yup, the picture of health.
Once they were all reassured, the woman seemed to get flustered again, put in a hurry for some reason or another. Oh yeah, it was dark and that was the reason all of this happened in the first place. Damn Winter. He watched as she moved over to his toppled bag fort and and realized he hadn't even thought of the damage that might have been done to their freshly bought items. Patting Salem's shoulders gently, he left him with the young girl, the Ashe, and began fixing the bags on the opposite end.
"Oh, no, please, we don't--" Tier stopped himself, sitting back on his heels and sighing as he looked over to the two children. Cold and hungry, needing a rest. He needed one, too, and she seemed intent enough, there probably was no persuading her to not treat them as it was. Another sigh and he held out the small bag Salem had been carrying before to him, "If you insist. I can't deny a request from a lady."
He winced at his own stupidity, Really?!
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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:09 am
"Good." Tsuji smiled widely at the two, especially the young boy, as her hands remained cinched over her rumbling stomach. "Where are we going, Mama?" Huan Yi blushed as she called her "Mama" again; it was still something she wasn't quite used to. She set the last bag on her side of the group upright and reached for them as she rose to her feet.
"There's a 24-hour diner just across the way." She smiled softly at the ground before finally breaking her eyes to examine the man who was fixing the bags with her. "I-I figured that the children are tired and probably don't want to walk too far." Red blossomed on her cheeks when she watched him refill the bags and set them to sit up properly. She turned her gaze across the street to the restaurant - it was sandwiched between a law firm and a flower shop, the windows of both buildings dark while the diner remained brightly lit. It was a welcome sight, and the girl was definitely anxious to get away from the park. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be taking this shortcut for a while.
"Thank you.. for accepting my request," she stammered. "I didn't mean to make you feel pressured into it--" Another low rumble. The comical timing of it was almost too much - it was as though the Ashe's hunger had saved her from fumbling for conversation, as she was apt to do.
"Can we goooo?" she whined quietly, looking over the boy on her right for back-up. Huan Yi felt a giggle bubble in her throat at the pushy young girl already striving for friends.
"Are you ready, uhm.. ?" she asked the man, turning the question towards him as she made to say his name. A frown crossed her features and her cheeks flushed deeper as she remembered that they had not yet exchanged names. ".. I-I'm sorry, it seems we haven't been properly introduced.. my name is Huan Yi." She bowed her head gently as some of her hair slid over her shoulders with the movement. Her young charge smiled happily and turned towards the young boy next to her, mimicking the movement. This was how you introduced yourself, right?
"I'm Tsuji! What's your name?" she said happily as her head came back up, the cattish grin returned to her lips as she rocked back and forth on her feet. "Do you like pie? Mama gave me some the other day, with apples.. you should share some with me!"
A warm tugging sensation pulled at her guardian's heart. Tsuji was making friends, much more quickly than she herself did as a child. She certainly wasted no time. It was a relief, and a pleasure, to know.
"Whenever you both are ready, shall we go?" the Chinese girl invited with a smile, nodding towards the young blue-haired girl (who was now cramming her hat back onto her head and tucking her hair away, albeit doing a rather poor job of it) with a slightly sterner air as she turned towards the street. Several of their new companions' bags danged from her hands. "Remember what I told you about crossing the street, Tsuji." She nodded readily and opened her mouth wide.
"Look both ways and hold hands when you cross the street." She recited it for wrote, as though she were reading it from a book she didn't care for. However instead of dashing after Huan Yi, she merely reached out and cinched the boy's hand in her own with a gentle but insistant grip. It was much more convenient. "You look right and I'll look left, okay?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 1:53 am
Salem wasn't sure what to think of these two, but he seemed slightly more at ease now that things had calmed down. This girl... she seemed so excited about something, was it them? Every time she looked at the both of them she held a wide grin, it was so toothy and... well, he couldn't think of the right word for it but he could feel the corners of his lips twitch into something small but similar.
"Ahh, that should be good," Tier nodded, moving some hair out of his eyes before standing, looking to his young charge for approval. Seemed happy enough, more confused than anything, but he understood that he would be getting to rest his feet so the boy nodded his agreement.
Names. Silly him, it seemed like he was always forgetting to introduce himself, something he definitely needed to fix in the future, "Oh, I'm sorry." Was the "Yi" a surname? Chinese was unfamiliar territory to him but he decided to play it safe, assume so, and state his full name, "I'm Tier Welstein and this is--"
"S-Salem... Welstein."
Tier smiled, proud of his "son's" answer and how he attempted to emulate the German 'v' sound in place of the 'w'. Didn't quite have it yet, but he was close.
"...Pie?" unsure, he looked to Tier again but was only met with the side of his head, he was mid-conversation with this Huan Yi lady, "I-I don't know... But... I like apples?" Bless him, he was trying to keep up with Tsuji but he spoke so much slower, so unsure.
Whenever they were ready. Right, Tier needed to bundle Salem up again if they were going to go to a public place. He still felt strange about their reaction, but Tsuji didn't exactly look normal herself, nor related to the Chinese girl. Still... poor Salem was worse. Nodding, he moved over to the children and acknowledged Tsuji with a smile as he made sure Salem's gloves were on properly and reapplied his various scarves and the hood. The glasses were nowhere to be found in the dark grass, however, so there was only one alternative at that moment, "When we get inside, keep your eyes closed, okay?" Tier made sure to keep his voice quiet.
Salem gave several quick nods but let but let out a muffled squeak as the tan girl took his hand. For a moment, he went rigid and didn't move but after the shock wore off he stared at Tsuji with eyes as wide as saucers.
"You look right and I'll look left, okay?"
That was what Tier had told him to do the first time they crossed a street that day, as well. Not verbatim but close enough, and still Salem stared, barely able to muster out a stuttering "R-right?" before another startle hit him, followed by a deep calm. Tier had collected the remaining bags off of the grass and thanked Huan Yi for getting the rest, making his way over to the children again and taking Salem's free hand in his. Now, if Huan Yi did similar with Tsuji, they would be a parent-child chain, how cute is that?!
The two adults and children crossed the street like good little rule followers, even taking an extra look both ways, and they reached the brightly lit diner in no time. Only when they were inside did Tier realize just how cold it was outside, how numb he was and how sore his cheek felt. Hopefully any swelling and bruising would be gne before a job interview happened, he still hadn't gotten word on that and now that he thought about it he felt bad for having this girl pay for them.
You can't do everything, Tier, suck it up.
"M-mm... warm..." Salem had closed his eyes at Tier instructed as soon as they passed over the threshold and gently tugged his hands free of Tsuji and Tier's, rubbing them over his cheeks. This place was a relief, good choice, lady.
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:52 am
At Salem's words, Tsuji nodded happily and bounded a few steps forward. Her enthusiasm for warmth and food was clear on her face, and Huan Yi smiled warmly as her cheeks flushed from the sudden temperature change. A waitress hustled by, picking up a handful of menus from a side counter compartment and smiling brightly at the small entourage.
"Four of you this evening? Is a booth fine?" She drummed the menus together against her fingers as she waited for a reply.
"Yes, thank you," Huan Yi replied quietly as the waitress signaled for them to follow. Tsuji spun on her heels towards Salem and tilted her head at his closed eyes. Why were his eyes closed? She remembered how her guardians had made such a fuss over hiding her hair.. what did it matter? She didn't quite understand, still being so young.. but she understood enough that Tier probably had bundled Salem up for similar reasons to herself. Except that right now, the boy couldn't see in front of him.
That was no fun. What was so wrong with being different?
"Here, follow me," she whispered as she once again took his hand and followed the waitress with the others. She led them through the small diner, weaving between clean metal tables and 50s-style furniture towards a booth in the corner, looking out over the vacant street. The lamps shown brightly over the sidewalk here, and the Chinese girl gave a sigh of relief. At least she would feel safer going home on this route.
Tsuji hopped into the booth when they arrived at the table and shimmied to the corner happily, her obnoxiously long, obnoxiously bright scarf trailing behind her on the seat. Her guardian picked up the worn ends and tucked it between the two of them as she joined her on one side. The waitress shuffled the menus accordingly with two on each side as a bell rang from the kitchen.
"I'll be back to take your drink orders shortly," she said pleasantly before hustling off. Huan Yi felt nervous now, timid - would dinner be enough to repay him? If anything, a normal person would consider any more overkill but she was eager to please.. after all, he was so nice to them.
"What're you eating, Salem?" Tsuji called over the countertop as she lowered the laminated menu resting upside-down between her small gloved fingers. The girl had never been here, and she was hoping that perhaps one of their new companions had. Given the fact that she wasn't quite able to read yet, the items on the menu looked like vague scribbles that framed the pictures (which told her enough of what she wanted to know). She turned it over in her hands and flipped through it idly. "Where's the pie?" The dessert menu stood to the side of her, flipped open to show the last customer at the table's choice of a hot fudge brownie, but Tsuji was determined to find the desserts in the menu.
"You should eat something more solid first," Huan Yi advised, "otherwise you may get a stomach ache." The Ashe grimaced before her face dawned a slightly puzzled look.
".. Is that like being hungry?" The girl laughed softly at the question. It was amazing that she was still foreign to some of the functions of the body.
"I suppose it is," she chuckled, before turning her attentions to their two new friends. Tsuji took to playing with the table top coin-operated radio that lay adjacent to them, fiddling with the dials. "Please get whatever you like, you two; i-it's no problem." She smiled what was hopefully a welcoming smile (and not one of nervousness) and blushed softly. She was still not used to being around boys, outside of her brother.
"I-is.." she started to say again, before having to pause and swallow as her anxiety took hold. "Is your cheek alright? I-I'm afraid you already may get a pretty terrible bruise.." She felt a twinge of guilt but mostly concerned. 'He got that by helping us, after all.'
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:42 am
As the waitress approached, Tier positioned himself in front of Salem and double checked all of his clothing, taking care to pull the scarf on his face up a little so that the blood-red marks beneath his eyes were covered. He hoped Salem would forgive him for that, one day, but until they were able to conceal his appearance or humans suddenly became welcoming to difference, it would have to do.
Giving Salem's back a gentle rub before standing, he smiled to the waitress and watched her walk back off to show them their tables. She was kind of cute, or at least her way of walking was, he hadn't gotten a good look at her face. Dammit, Tier, this is not the time, especially not when there was an exceedingly cute Chinese girl he had just helped save.
Really, really not the time.
When Tsuji whispered to him, Salem nearly opened his eyes but promptly clenched them shut right after he saw a white blur of the floor. They had all started walking, but then his hand was grabbed and he was rushed along. Tier had reached out to take Salem's hand again and let out a defensive 'hey' when Tsuji rushed off with the boy but he soon calmed. They were still in sight, so it wasn't exactly a problem, just... unfortunate.
The booth was probably a good idea, they would be able to hide out a bit easier and Salem could take his scarves off as long as he kept his hood on; if anyone started looking at him, he would just turn his head to the wall and pull the hood closer to his face and they would probably just attribute it to child shyness or some sort of tantrum.
"Thank you, miss," his smile to the waitress would normally have been flirtatious, whether he truly meant it or not, but the meaning of it was lost as the bruise was beginning to form on his cheek and the smile was difficult to hold so it faded quickly. Now Tsuji and he matched in both hair color and facial damage.
Salem picked up the menu after adjusting his gloves under the table and pulling his scarves into his lap. Finally, he could open his eyes, but aside from the pictures it all came out as scribbles. "I... dunno," he pouted, tilting his head and the menu a few different ways as if that would make the words suddenly become legible but, of course, they didn't. The next best thing was to turn to Tier, "Is... is there anything I like...?"
His guardian leaned down and began listing things off, tracing his fingers across the words as he went, "There's some I know you like, but I think a lot of what they have here should be pretty good... mmm.... there's a burger, do you want to go with that?"
"Does it come with the stuff like at that other place?"
"Yes, but we can order it off," pickles, mustard and onions were not a favorite of Salem's, especially not together on the same slab of meat. The Ashe beside him gave a hum of approval and bounced slightly in his seat, more out of anticipation now that he knew what was coming rather than happiness, Tier assumed. He had only caught the tail end of their companion's own conversation and he smiled slightly at how similar yet different they were.
If one switched Tier and Salem's personality's, they would reflect Tsuji and Huan Yi's almost to the letter.
Watching them as he did, he almost felt a pang of shame when the latter looked at him and spoke; staring is bad Tier, you should remember that. "Oh, thank you, very much," he almost felt like this was too much. Helping her was his duty, or at least it felt that way now that he had done so even if he had been talked into it. Salem also offered her a quiet 'thanks' before closing his menu up and resting it on the table.
She seems to really like pie... the Ashe stared at his counterpart across the table, intrigued; he had only met one other before and compared to Tsuji, he had looked like a relatively normal child. It was so strange seeing one like him, so different from the rest of the humans even if the ways in which they were differed as well. Salem gets his staring from Tier, apparently.
The two guardians smile at each other for a few moments, though Tier seemed more sure of himself even with his smile wavering every few seconds from the bruise--and then she brought it up. Yes, it hurt, but once they were home and he was able to put some ice on it, he was sure it wouldn't be so bad later. A classic case of looking worse than it actually was, or so he hoped. "I think it'll be fine," despite the twinge he kept the smile, "Besides, battle scars are interesting," not that he thought it would leave a scar, he just thought he was being witty.
He wasn't.
"Ts-Tsuji... I'm getting a burger," Salem informed her, gently kicking his small feet forward as they dangled off of the seat.
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:47 am
Perhaps she was overdoing it. Huan Yi had a notorious habit for smothering with kindness, after spending so many years struggling to make friends and keep their approval. Either that or it was her own awkwardness tainting the situation.
"I do hope this isn't too much." The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she blushed as they spilled forth. "I.. really hope I'm not making you too terribly uncomfortable with m-my insistence.. if so.. I'm sorry." Her head bowed quickly to the table to hide her reddened face and her fingers clutched the edge of the counter. Here she was, doing it again - apologizing incessantly for mistake after mistake. Why couldn't she get it right?
"She's happy though," Tsuji said matter-of-factly from behind the rim of the menu, masking her cattish grin. Huan Yi's head whipped up and looked at the small Ashe with an incredulous expression, but the little girl merely shrugged in reply. "You turn red when you're happy. Or around boys."
"T-Tsuji.. !!" The guardian's hands flew up to conceal her face, her head shaking from side to side in embarrassment. Did this child have no tact? But Huan Yi had to remind herself that tact was often learned.. she would have to teach her what was appropriate to say in a public setting. The child still had no concept of some feelings, such as 'embarrassment' or 'anger', perhaps only having felt the latter this very evening. Hopefully one day she would learn the difference between a "happy blush" and "embarrassed blush" before she made the assumption that all her guardian's blushes were meant to represent how happy she was.
The small figure giggled in her seat and wiggled around to sit on her knees and lean her arms on the table. She squinted her eyes at the menu that Salem had placed on the table, where the image of a burger (looking too delicious to be true) displayed proudly for the restaurant patrons to be tempted. A flash of pink appeared as she ran her tongue over her lips innocently.
"Is that a burger, Salem?" Her gloved hand reached over and tapped on the picture. The finger traced the outline of the bun before her eyes flickered over to her guardian. "It looks good.. can I have one? I want one, too!" Huan Yi lowered her hands slowly and let out a small, tightly-drawn breath. As her hands rested in her lap, she hoped that her blush had receded enough so it wouldn't be so obvious that she was feeling a little flustered in Tier's presence. "And hot chocolate!"
"P-perhaps we can share it.. one may be too big for you to eat alone, and I'm afraid I'm not terribly hungry." She paused in thought before she glanced at the tan girl out of the corner of her eye. "And.. what did you forget to say?" Tsuji blinked as her face washed over with an air of confusion. It was so simple, too.. she had just learned it the other day.. what do you say to get what you want?
"Uh.." Some of her normal bravado lessened and she shrunk back in her seat, contemplating. Her eyes darted here and there as she scrounged for the answer; it was as though she were trying to discern it from some object around her. Finally her eyes rested on Salem, and she gave him a strangely timid, unsure smile. ".. What are you supposed to say .. when you want something .. ?"
"According to my brother, it's 'now'." Huan Yi whispered to Tier after watching Tsuji and Salem's small exchange of words. She smiled softly at the blue-haired man and kept her gaze on him for a moment. The bruise on his cheek certainly wouldn't leave a scar, she thought with relief, but still.. he had gone out of his way, for them, complete strangers. He seemed like such a kind person to her.. however after thinking that, she promptly blushed again and cast her gaze to the countertop shyly. Way to go, Huan Yi, masterfully done.
As though to save the conversation from complete awkwardness, the waitress swept in with her happy gait and a notepad handy.
"What can I start you off with to drink?" She smiled kindly at the group with her hand poised over the paper. Tsuji rocked back and forth from her vantage point in the corner and placed her hands on her knees.
"Hot chocolate!" she called. "With whipped cream! Lots of it!" The waitress chuckled, scribbling it quickly before turning her gaze to the Chinese girl that sat closer to the outside edge.
"Water is fine for me, please." The waitress nodded and turned towards Tier and Salem with the tip of her pen in their direction.
"What about for you two?"
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Friendly Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:18 pm
Why was she so... cute?
Every time she spoke, she would pause slightly and her shy mannerisms reminded Tier of Salem; the slight stutter, the unsure air, the enormous amount of respect that the German felt was highly undue. When Tsuji called her out on the blushing--a good time, too, as Tier was finding it hard to hold words or motions back at that point and might have overstepped his bounds--Huan Yi just seemed to get even more adorable.
He had to look away, large smile spread across his face even though it made the bruise twinge. "Don't worry about it," Tier couldn't help but laugh a little but he hoped it wouldn't embarrass her more, "Kids still need to learn that there's only so many ways to show how you feel, I guess... Mm. But I am really grateful you offered, this is great." A quick nudge to Salem's small elbow made him squeak in agreement, looking between the three of his companions quickly before shoving his face back into the menu.
Tsuji's interjection caught him off guard again and Salem looked up, wide eyed at the blue haired girl. "Y-yes," a burger was what it was and a burger was what he was thinking of getting. Then again, those kids meal chicken tenders looked really good, too. Choosing things to eat was so much more difficult then having Tier decide for him and it made the Ashe child squirm slightly in his seat.
"Hot... chocolate?" He had only ever had or heard of normal chocolate, the thick stuff that came in bars or individually wrapped that was so sweet and nice after a hot meal. "W-..wouldn't that be hard t-...to eat?" Salem glanced at Tier for approval, the only thing coming to mind being a plate full of melted chocolate instead of the liquid drink his fellow Ashe had referred to.
"It's a drink, Salem," Tier couldn't help but laugh, patting the boy lightly on the back of the head when he lowered it in embarrassment. The subsequent speech lesson Huan Yi presented Tsuji with made Tier smile; it reminded him of one of the few fond memories he had when he was young, being asked a similar question by his father.
With Tsuji's quieter voice, Salem leaned in slightly to listen, resting a few fingers over his mouth while his face was scrunched in thought. There was definitely a specific word that was said whenever he wanted something, usually presented in the form of a question. When not asking it himself, it was a bit hard to find, but Salem thought back to the times he had asked questions to Tier and his mouth gaped momentarily before responding: "Please?" He sat up straighter, looking between the two adults with his hand still near his mouth, eyes wide with anticipation.
Before either could answer, however, and in the midst of Tier's chuckle at Huan Yi's brother, the waitress arrived and was ready for orders.
"Well, it's dark out," Tier hummed, turning to look out of the large windows behind their booth, "But I guess a beer's out of the question. I'll have a hot chocolate, too." Very nearly did he crack one of those smiles at the waitress, but he caught himself, recalling that he had a lovely lady at the table with him already. Flirting sensors needed to be toned down, concentrate on what was in front of him and all would be well.
Salem held the edges of his hood, making sure that none of his face was visible to the waitress, but because of it he had to raise his voice a bit. He didn't want to be the odd one out, Huan Yi had already taken that step by ordering water and since he had no idea what a beer was, he opted to go with the current favorite, "M-me too. A hot chocolate, please."
Food was next, appetizers. Tier didn't want to seem a glutton or messy, as normally he would order buffalo wings for himself but instead went after the mozzarella sticks that could be shared between the four of them until their real food arrived. The burger for Salem that Tier could finish later if he couldn't and for himself, some spaghetti. Meatballs ahoy!
Once the girls had ordered and the waitress had gone, Tier brought his hands in front of himself on the table and leaned toward Huan Yi a bit, keeping his voice quiet. "So, what were you guys doing wandering around after dark, anyway? I mean, this city's not that bad, compared to a lot of others," New York and Baltimore jumped to mind, "But tonight proved it's still pretty sketchy. You're not gonna go that way again, right?" What had started out as a slightly amused expression turned to concern as he finished up his sentence, lifting his head up so it was angled for him to be looking up at Huan Yi, rather than down at her due to his height.
At the same time, Salem was idly kicking his feet from the bench, unsure of what to do with himself until the food arrived, especially when he was so high off the ground that his feet didn't reach. "D-do you and your..." he looked to Huan Yi briefly before locking his gaze back on the table, "Do you eat at places like this... a lot?" The normal dinner for he and Tier was canned stuff, generally Chef Boyardi, so dining out was a very rare thing especially now when Tier still hadn't been hired anywhere.
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