|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 9:34 am
Kira followed Zaya into what he had called a restaurant, nodding thanks at him and the serving man, which another first for her as it was normally women who served in the inns and pubs she had frequented all those years ago. Times have changed this as well? At least this one is for the better. Kira smiled, having detested the old rule of serving women, especially the kind in the Roman empire, where often the women served the men... elsewhere as well. Kira listened as Zaya told her of the place and what she could have, though she was already imposing much on him already. But her hunger bested pride in this case and she nodded her gratitude.
Then her thoughts turned to what she shall have. She decided early that she should keep a few of her comfort foods nearby, in case the modern proved too much to handle, but she also was bound and determined to jump into this world and swim like a fish (Figuratively of course, she can't swim), but she had no idea of the modern food, so she looked around and spotted on the table some colorful parchment illustrated with excellent portraits of some of the foods of the restaurant. She shuffled through it until one caught her eye. By this time, the serving man had came back, so she told him, "I will have a leg of mutton, roasted if you still serve it like so. Some bread to go with, if you have olive oil and sesame I would ask you to place it on the bread. And I will have this." She finished, pointing to a picture of (__Insert incredibly spicy dish here__) Then she looked back to Zaya, getting guilty for asking so much. "If this is fine with you."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 11:23 am
Aoi watched Kira as she glanced at the menu lying on the table. She was quick to figure out the lamented papers had some listings of the foods they served at the restaurant. It was, in a way, fascinating watching her figure out modern inventions and going with the flow. If he hadn't lived through modern invention, both world wars—more than just those two wars, but for the West, only those two really mattered—he was used to it. She adjusted well to all the change around her. However, he didn't expect her to give up all the comforts of the past.
When their waiter came back, Aoi suppressed the smile that was working its way to his expression. Leg of mutton, it was a phrase he didn't hear too often, if at all. She was so specific when it came to her order, it was...cute? No, it was definitely fun to watch, he was certain of that. He glanced at her as she pointed to an incredibly spicy dish containing wasabi. Well, he wasn't surprised by that, fire elementals were on the hotter side of things. As for him, he ordered three simple dishes: "A full serving of vegetable pistou soup, half a serving of a summer farro salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil, and a full a blueberry and coconut cake. Just bring out two servings and box the rest. I'll take it home. Also, I'll take a glass of water with ice, please." Aoi spoke slowly so the waiter could get down his order, he didn't want to rush him. Once he got both of their orders, the water elemental smiled and handed him the menus on their table. As the waiter turned away, Aoi noticed the young man's ears were pink. And beside him, he heard a few giggles and hushed whispers. Glancing at the source of the giggles, Aoi saw four high school-aged girls peeking at him. Running a hand through his hair, Aoi gave the giggling girls a shy smile before looking back at Kira. Somehow, even when he was a mess, he attracted attention, though this wasn't the kind he particularly disliked.
Adjusting his shirt collar, Aoi thought of taking a long bath once he returned to his inn suite. Though first, he had to focus on Kira and their next steps together. "So, do you like the restaurant? If you like the food here, we can come again." Aoi preferred cooking at home, but he didn't have a real home nor food in the fridge where he was staying. He needed to go grocery shopping soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 12:34 pm
Kira was a little relieved when Zaya said nothing against the amount of food she had ordered, and had himself ordered quite a lot, or she thought it was a lot since it sounded like it. As the waiter left she followed Zaya's eyes as he looked over at a group of girls of marrying age giggling at him. She noted his smile, but said nothing. That is until he went to adjust his shirt, Then she glared at the four and let her eyes smolder to a red-hot glow. She had no real reason for doing it she was willing to admit, Zaya was a man that has had a life before her and was allowed to seek whatever affection he could find; but it didn't stop her from enjoying the looks on the girls faces. She quickly cooled down before he turned back to her and acted as if she did nothing but look around the restaurant before answering his question. "So far, what I've seen of it is nice. But next time we come here, I will pay." She said resolutely. How, she had no idea, but she wanted to repay him for all the inconvenience. She was stepping on his life, and should return his favors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:05 pm
Aoi didn't miss the look Kira gave the giggling girls, but said nothing of it. She looked as if she was enjoying herself and it wasn't his place to ruin her fun, as immature as it was. And if the fire elemental was becoming possessive of him, he would explain to her he had no such inclinations whatsoever towards anyone. It was tiring pretending to be interested in people, but he did it out of convenience. People wouldn't question him if he pretended to be "normal", and it didn't hurt to smile at people. In fact, it helped him quite a bit when he wanted something.
Now, when Kira mentioned paying the bill next time they returned to the restaurant, Aoi inserted his opinion on the matter. "If it's payment, I'm interested in knowledge, history. It's a hobby, if you will. I view knowledge as invaluable," he said as their waiter returned with his glass of water and gave them an update on their food. Aoi smiled and thanked him for his glass, prompting the young man to blush again, more clearly than before, as he returned to his other tables. Aoi wasn't being fair, but if this lead to better service, so be it. The water elemental knew he was attractive and used the fact. Nothing wrong with that.
Using the straw in his glass to stir the ice, Aoi continued what he was saying to Kira, switching to his native rural Chinese dialect instead of English. As much as he liked using his looks to get him places, he didn't want people to get the wrong idea about him and Kira. If they overheard what they were talking about, rumors would spread. "I honestly don't mind spending my money on you. I have enough wealth to live comfortably for a thousand lifetimes. If you're willing to trade even a small amount of your knowledge—your language, the history of elementals in Europe, society in general—I'll consider that payment. I'm even willing to pay you for more information, which is a common thing in this era. Knowledge is power. It empowers the weak and weakens the powerful. I've seen it happen time and time again." He was blunt as he spoke, but he did not give of an air of arrogance, just business. For him, knowledge and money were business. To survive, one needed money, and he had plenty of it.
Taking a sip from his glass, Aoi adjusted his shirt collar again. Maybe he'd go change shirts in the bathroom? He could ask Kira if she wanted to wear one of his old shirts and a pair of shorts instead of the robe. "But if that doesn't sit well with you, we can speak with Kuro and Shiro Wilde, the owners of this town. Maybe they'll have a job for you to do to earn some money." He shrugged as he twirled a lock of hair between his thumb and finger.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:31 pm
Kira watched the serving man blush at Zaya's smile and pondered that for a few moments, before remembering how in the Roman empire some of the men she knew preferred male servants for intimate actions. It wasn't an open thing in the Roman times, but perhaps in this time it was more common and more openly shown. She mentally shrugged it off, life did what it did.
But she didn't like this idea of her paying him with knowledge. He made a good case for it and she supposed she could do for anything between him and her, but... "You may find knowledge good payment for what you do for me, but I know rest of world will not be so appreciative. I traveled through many countries in my time as a bard of sorts, but I found in Roman lands where money ruled, bards with no money soon starved. I will tell of whatever you wish, but I will need money to live in this time. We may go to the owners of the town when we can. I will pay for what you give me." She restated stubbornly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:56 pm
Aoi shrugged once again as he took another sip of water from his glass. Speaking again in Chinese, the water elemental said, "No, the rest of the world won't, but you'll receive a culture shock worse if you leave Kuro Shiro now than if you wait for a few more decades. When you're immortal, you have all the time in the world to accumulate what you want." Another fifteen minutes and their food would be out. He would ask Kira if she was still hungry after they ate. He didn't mind paying for more food if she stayed healthy.
Thinking for a moment, Aoi glanced down at his glass of water, staring at it as he formed his thoughts. Unconsciously, the contents of the glass moved without him apply physical force. "That's why I will pay you what I want to know, or for teaching me the languages you know." All the other European immortals he knew were...only useful for money. They never told the truth straight and it was difficult for him when he wanted knowledge. It was just how he was. However, he had to concede to Kira's stubbornness. It was no use arguing with a fire elemental once she made up her mind. "Just don't give me your first paycheck once you get a job, okay? Save up what money you can before paying for the meal and whatever expenses crop up. I'll feel awful for taking your first paycheck." He smiled as he thought of something from long ago. First paychecks were something...momentous for those without wealth.
Mentally dismissing the long-ago memory, Aoi focused on Kira once more. "After this, we can either return to my inn suite so you can sleep or we can buy you clothes. You pick." As much as this was business, it was working with someone with no home and no belongings. He didn't particularly care which she chose. After he saw her nude, he could guess what kinds of clothes would fit her. If she wanted to sleep, he could go out and buy her clothes so she wouldn't have to walk around in a robe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 12:33 pm
Kira gratefully let the matter drop about her paying when Zaya finally agreed, though he did want her to wait to save enough before doing so. Kira pondered for a moment about what they needed to do next after they ate. She knew she needed clothes that fit this time much better than what she had, already she had begun to notice a few people giving her curious glances, but she didn't want Zaya paying for even more. But finally she decided she might as well learn what people liked to wear in this time period, plus she had the distinct feeling Zaya would just go ahead and do it anyways no matter what she said. "We can get clothes after this, it is probably for the best that I know what people like now." She said, watching the way the water and ice in his glass swirled. She laughed to herself at this, she used to never be around water elementals growing up, despite all the times she had lived near the sea, a precaution you naturally obtained as a fire elemental in her time. Waters elementals back then used to be impossible to figure out, they kept their emotions hidden as deep as their currents, and Kira could never tell when one was mad until they tried throwing water at her. But here she was, not having been saved by one, but having a normal conversation with one that she had injured. Granted injured without consent, but she had still expected him to be a little vengeful about that.
Finally their food came to their table and the serving man delivered her a well done leg of lamb, a few loaves of bread, and one sizzling dish that resembled whatever it was she had ordered. The man also placed down some metalware that Kira assumed she was supposed to eat with, but she resolved to wait on that until she saw how to use them. So instead she dug into her mutton, tearing manageable strips of the meat off the bone and biting off little bits from the strips. She gave the impression of swallowing each bite, but really by the time she finished chewing, the food had already burned up to fuel her fire. And indeed by the time she had finished one strip, you can tell she was glowing a little bit brighter and warmer than before. She smiled at the serving man, showing off white incandescent teeth, before saying, "This is good, your cook did well, and returning to the meal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 7:43 pm
Aoi was slightly surprised by Kira's answer to his question, but he didn't let it show. He'd go along with whatever she chose to do and whatever she chose to wear, though he wanted to tell her that no matter what she wore, people would still dislike them. People were mean that way, but, then again, he was with her and he had a sharp fashion sense, so he'd steer her in the less disastrous direction in terms of fashion. Then, when she started to laugh, he looked at her curiously. What happened to make her laugh? Though he wasn't curious enough to ask, he wouldn't ruin whatever she found funny. Instead, he continued their conversation. "I think we should buy you lots of outdoor stuff, like boots, khakis, jeans, plaid. It'd suit you well. You'd look very cute, yet cool," he said in English, his smile bright.
When their waiter returned with a tray full of food, Aoi pulled out his hand sanitizer and cleaned his hands. In the end, he didn't use the bathroom, so he didn't have a chance to even wash his hands for lunch. Whatever, it didn't matter in the end. He was using a fork and spoon to eat his food, so it didn't matter. Well...not for him at least. Watching Kira dig right into the meat, Aoi felt like he saw the resemblance of something he saw before. Of course, this also went with the aftershock that she ordered an entire lamb's leg. Thinking of whether or not to ask if she wanted the entire lamb instead of just the leg, the water elemental decided it may very well get him killed. Still, he couldn't help staring at the fire elemental as she ate until she complimented the cook of the restaurant. Chuckling, he thought this was similar to how it was back during his youthful days traveling Europe. "Yes, please thank the cook for you, and thanks for the food, sir." Smiling brightly, Aoi watched as the flustered waiter nodded and complied with their request before briskly returning to the kitchen with his tray. "I think I've teased him too much, Lady Kira." Aoi chuckled again, this time at his own actions. He really was being cruel, wasn't he? But it was fun making people flustered like that. "Don't mind the other patrons. People always stare," he said as he picked up his fork and started eating his salad. The salad helped him zone out from the smell of cooked meat. It made him feel unwell smelling meat, but he always hid his feelings well. Oh well, this was the price of being a vegetarian.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 2:46 pm
Kira frowned at the clothes he was mentioning, wiping off a little grease from the lamb that had got on her face and burning it off in her hand with a brief flare of flame. "There are outdoor clothes? Why would you need different types of clothes?" Kira asked confused, but then she shook her head. "Never mind, silly question now that I think of it. We'll try these clothes you speak of, let us hope I do look... cute," she finished with a quizzical smile. She returned to her meal for a few moments then looked up to see that Zaya appeared uncomfortable. She wondered what it was that was making him upset, and feeling a little guilty that she may have caused it. She put down her lamb, having pretty much picked it clean anyways by now, and moved the other tray in front of her. Laughing at Zaya's comment on the serving man, she took the opportunity to observe how he was using the metalware to eat, and replicated it to eat this new dish. The first thing she got on her fork was a glob of green paste and she carelessly put it in her mouth by itself. Immediately she found herself pleasantly warm as this sweet-sour paste exploded in her mouth. "This is very good, very sweet, a little sour. What is this called?" Kira asked enthusiastically as she scooped up more off her plate. On a whim she added a few extra strips of chicken to it, and then some of what she would later know as rice. Each was excellent with the paste, but she found herself wanting a little more of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 6:03 pm
Aoi dropped the subject on clothes as Kira instructed. She would learn more about modern clothes as time moved on. He guessed she didn't know about outdoor clothing, like coats and boots, because she was her own hot water bottle. Shrugging it off, the water elemental continued to eat until he saw a shift in Kira's demeanor. She may have sensed his discomfort for the smell of meat, but he highly suspected she thought he was uncomfortable about all the food she ordered. Maybe it was a good time to explain to her about how he was a vegetarian...
Aoi's thoughts came to a standstill as he paused, his fork hovering in front of his open mouth. The fire elemental had laughed at his comment about the waiter and then moved onto her next dish...the one with wasabi on a small plate...and she downed the green paste like it was mashed potatoes. She called it sweet, no very sweet, and sour. To top it off, she was scooping up more of it not just with her fork, but with her chicken strips and rice. It took him a moment to comprehend what he was seeing and once he did, he couldn't hold it in any longer. This was just too funny.
Cracking up laughing, Aoi dropped his fork in his salad as he tried to cover his mouth with his hands. However, as soon as he looked at Kira again—her coloring brighter, looking more healthy, and still eating the wasabi—he burst out in laughter again. Between gasps of breath, the water elemental tried to apologize. "S-so, so s-sorry, Ki-Kira," he said as he failed to regain his composure. "I-I real-really am, but...This is too funny." He kept his elbows from knocking the table so he wouldn't spill any of the food. It took him a minute, but finally he got a part of his composure back. "Please pardon my laughter. I'm really sorry, Lady Kira. What you're eating is called wasabi, which originates from Japan," he explained to her, keeping his bubbling laughter to himself. He noticed people staring and laughing as well, including the giggling girls from earlier, but he paid them no mind. People laughed when they heard other people laugh, especially if it looked odd for the source of it all to laugh. Anyways, they were just curious what caused him to laugh so much. Nothing obvious should have made him laugh, but they didn't know what Kira was eating, which made the situation all the more hilarious. "Wasabi is really hot, not to the tongue, but to the nasal passages. Most people can't eat it without water or it being toned down by other foods." He picked up his fork again and continued eating his salad. In between swallows, Aoi added, "Akane would have liked you a lot. She couldn't stand wasabi despite being a fire elemental, but it was understandable because she was still a human." Aoi felt like Kira was as fiery and passionate as Akane, but that was where the similarities ended. Kira was not his sister, but she would have made a great friend for her. The two of them would get along well. He would probably have to break up fights between them because Akane's personality often caused friction with even the people she liked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:32 pm
Kira stared in wonderment as Zaya burst into laughter, not really comprehending why he was reacting why. Eventually he managed to explain between gasps of breath and she smiled at that, grateful that she could make someone laugh. She couldn't see how the paste was hot, but she also realized that she wasn't human. She cocked her head when she realized that Zaya had a sister. "She must be a nice woman." She said scooping up more rice, thoughtfully chewing "The last time I walked the earth, I had thousands of sisters and brothers, more were born with every eruption from my mother and aunts. I wonder how many I have now and how many live today. And which ones remember me." Kira said, noticing that her voice was growing wistful. She shook herself out of it and put another bite "What is your sister like?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:37 pm
Aoi finally clamped down on his giggles and saw Kira wasn't upset with him laughing at her. He was glad, he wasn't in the mood to become charcoal. The fire elemental was understanding, and intelligent. When he mentioned Akane's name—it was careless of him, brought on by the laughter—most people wouldn't make that connection. Akane could have been just another elemental born of human parents that he had befriended, someone he could connect to. Kira was the first person to guess Akane was his sister, though it was a pity she didn't notice his verb tense.
Smiling wistfully as the fire elemental spoke of her own family, born from the volcanoes in Europe he supposed, Aoi knew her family would not have forgotten her. Whether it be one year or a thousand, a person couldn't forget their family. He never forgot Akane, their younger siblings, their parents, their spouses, or their own children. They always remembered their family. They were the ones they loved. "I'm sure they remember you. They've probably been wondering where you went all these years. I bet they'll throw a huge party when you finally come home," he said as he mindlessly stabbed his salad. "As for Akane...stubborn, argumentative, violent, foul-mouth, short-tempered, funny, loving, passionate, the list goes on. She believed in justice, in punishing criminals, in helping the weak. She was a real hero to many people we knew. Ah, but this is just a younger brother's view of her. I have a bias when it comes to my sister." He laughed at his own admission, but it didn't make it less true. It was always hard to keep an unbiased view when it came to his sister, not in her actions, but her character. "Sorry for babbling. Hey, if you want, if you give me some names of your siblings, I can ask my contacts if they know them. Most fire elementals don't like me much, since my element is water, but I know plenty of people who are friends with fire elementals. If I sent them a message, I'm sure we can find your family and maybe chat with them." It was a suggestion as much as a distraction for him. He missed Akane, and it didn't bother him thinking about her, but saying aloud everything she was depressed him a bit. It wasn't Kira's fault, he chose to talk about Akane. He could have just said she died awhile ago, but he didn't want Kira to think he was comparing her to his sister or using her as a replacement. He avoided fire elementals as much as the fire elementals avoided him for a reason. No one could replace Akane and he was fine with that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:21 pm
Kira's glow dimmed a little as she got herself in control, conserving her fire as much as she could, and honestly it suited her mood as she listened to Zaya describe his sister. It was clear how much he loved his sister, but the sadness it seemed to seep out told her more. Kira silently mourned a sister she never met in Akane. "She does sound like she was a good woman, shame I never met a sister like her." She huffed before turning her mind to her own. "As for my sisters and brothers, not many have human names, at least that I know of. But I had two that lived in this small roman town by the name of Pompeii, if anyone of my family know I'm alive they would at the very least be willing to believe it. Another, she lived on this small island chain of in the middle of the ocean, the people there gave her a name. I believe it was Pele, though that may have just been a shorter version of her real name. That one is difficult to say in human language. But I believe they treated her very nice, hopefully she is still alright to this day." Her brows furrowed at that, worried for Pele's sake. She was very laidback for a fire elemental, often walking down beaches for enjoyment, and she always feared too much water swallowing her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:57 pm
Aoi smiled, nostalgic and melancholy, but not overly depressed. Akane died long ago, but wallowing about in sadness would have gotten him a punch to the face by his late twin. As he finished his salad, Aoi imagined how pissed off Akane would be right now if she saw him being so pathetic. He could recall the many times she had beat the s**t out of him.
Mentally shaking off the memories, Aoi focused on what Kira was saying now. When she mentioned Pompeii, he thought of ways to break it to her that the town no longer existed, in a sense, though he was sure her siblings were likely still alive. Picking up his soup spoon, Aoi started consuming his soup when Kira mentioned Pele, but then nearly choked on his food. Coughing, Aoi banged the side of his fist against his chest while covering his mouth with a napkin. Was Kira talking about the Pele, Pele-honua-mea? If she was, she was certainly a well-connected fire elemental without having any contact with anyone in the last two thousand years. Once he ceased coughing, Aoi said to her: "I personally know a fire-user named Pele. Just let me ask you, is her full name Pele-honua-mea? And if you don't remember, the island chains, is one of the islands called Niʻihau?" The island of Hawaiʻi may not have been formed during the time Kira walked the earth, so he decided to use the oldest island's name. He already had a feeling he knew the answer to his questions, but he needed to confirm it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:31 pm
Kira was definitely surprised when Zaya began choking, but even more so when he knew Pele. "Yes, that was her name the humans gave her. I'm not sure I remember the name of her island, it was many centuries ago, even with... everything else that has happened, but the name sounds similar to the language I learned there. You know her well enough? Is she alive and well?" Kira said, perking up as her excitement grew. Pele had been odd, living as close to the ocean as she did, but Kira had always loved Pele dearly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
