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 Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:50 pm
Normally Chao-shi was on the job at this time of day, taking customers and reading a few palms. Normally it was just silly things, like frivolous girls wanting to know of their future love life.
However, today Chao was taking it easy. He had snuck off from the main group a while back- there was really no reason in him staying when the hag took half of his profits- and set up his own shop. And today he decided that instead of conning people, he was going to haggle.
Walking down the main market row, he was looking for possibly new divination tools, and maybe a new earring for his ear. The trinkets that most were selling were interesting, but nothing was truly exotic or eyecatching enough for his tastes.
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:57 pm
She didn't know what, but Lei had put her pretty wooden comb in her hair today, right above her right braid. She loved the way the blue gem caught the light and sparkled against her dark hair as she moved around the town.
Following the festivities of Spirit Day, she still remained on a high and was now in a small park off the main strech of shops, twirling around in front of a pond. She had been told how the Water Tribes celebrated by dancing in front of a fire, and she had watched the gypsies and the like dance through the streets here.
Lei was very clumsy, though, and as she spun, she got dizzy and fell on to the green grass.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:14 am
Chao-shi saw the young girl fall as he walked past the entrance to the park. He debated for a half second about helping her, but like his mama had always said- 'You scratch someones back and they'll scratch yours.' Who knows? Maybe this girl was rich and he'd make some profit today anyways.
He rushed across the park to where she was laying, bending down at the waist so his face was in veiw. Smiling charmingly, he held out a hand to her. "Need help, miss?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:26 am
Lei was like her sister in that, she blushed as the boy smiled sweetly at her. Unlike her sister, however, she just as charmingly accepted his help. Smiling to herself, she laughed inwardly at the secret joke of her sour sister, who would have refused his help then bit his head off for offerning.
Avani was far to strong willed for her own good sometime. It's why Lei had always said she'd die a spinster.
"Thank you," she said, blushing further realizing she was now standing and staring at him.
"Hey I know you," Lei said suddenly, looking him up and down. "You're that boy all the other girls were talking about! The one doing fortunes."
She could still hear the high pitched laughter in her head, from some of her new friends she had met after starting her new job. "Hehe! Then he said that I'd marry a rich older man!" one had said, while another gushed "He told ME I'll meet a handsome powerful bender!"
The young girl had asked how they could know he was right and the girls had just tittered at her, the way they always did when she had apparently asked something naive.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:38 am
Chao was used to girls blushing at him. He wondered breifly why they blushed so much. Maybe it had something to do with all the makeup they normally wore.
Realizing he was known for his fortunes he took a deep theatrical bow. "The one and only, M'lady!" Hopefully there were good things being said about him, otherwise his over the top attitude might seem a little silly.
And Chao-Shi hated being silly.
Almost as much being chased by jealous and angry boyfriends.
But not quite as much.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:43 am
"I'm Lei," she said, dipping her head primly and politely. "I'm...They didn't actually mention your name, just that you were a ..." She paused. "They" had said he was a very fine and handsome boy in a cape, but he already seemed to have a big enough head.
"A younger boy in a long cape," she finished quickly, mumbling and looking at her feet. "And well, I don't really see that many boys in capes, so I can only assume you're the one."
The dark haired girl looked at him curiously. "What are you doing over here anyway? Shouldn't you be off lying to more rich girls about their future?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:57 am
"My name is Chao-shi." He was slightly affronted at her reaction to his profession. It certainly wasnt something he got often- perhaps for some of the older men- but certainly never a young lady!
And he realized another important tidbit from her last sentence- this girl was NOT rich. Or if she was, she was a rather strange one who didnt associate with her own class. Either way, he thought it best for him to cut the theatrics.
Chao looked at her seriously. "Divination is many things Lei. But it is only a lie when used improperly in the hands of scam artists." Even though he knew showmanship was a huge part of his job, he still hated that everyone thought what he did had no truth. It could be manipulated slightly... but there was always a basis in truth.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:11 am
"Well then, it's very good to know that somehow, at least half the young girls around here are going to marry someone rich or talented, or both even!" she said curtly.
She had nothing against the boy's profession, really. But most of what she had ever heard come out of her father's mouth was a lie, and she didn't need any more in her life. The boy may not have been a "liar" persay, but he gave false hopes, which were just as devastating as a lie.
She spun lightly on her toes and picked up a rock and tossed it, skipping it across the calm pond's surface. "I'm sure someone as...experianced in the ways of life couldn't possibly ever use such a thing improperly.
He hadn't done anything to her and Lei wasn't really trying to be nastly like her sister. The boy was quite handsome, at least...
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:21 am
"Well, considering the two girls in particular you are talking about both had very prominent love lines in their hands, one with a particularly rare line of fortune crossing it, and the other with a line of earth it seems fairly reasonable to make those predictions." He thought about it further. "Especially since those two young ladies are of money and probably will be looking for a husband like that anyways."
Really! What on earth had he done to get a lecture from a pretty lady who had fallen over in a park! He didnt bother trying to get her attention again after his speech. The last was a particular blow to him, because the hag was always telling him that he was too young to be a showman.
So today was not turning out all that great.
Hopefully he'd at least find something interesting in the market.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:31 am
"The other boys don't like you," she said slyly.
One girl that helped her on the grounds and looking after the elephant koi had gone so far as to dump her sweet dedicated beau when her fortune revealed she was supposed to marry a bender, and the poor sap certainly was no bender.
Lei slowly picked up another smooth stone to skip it, tossing her braid over her shoulder when it fell forward. Although she was terribly clumsy when it came to dancing, slower movement in general had been perfected with a naive like charm to them, from years of being homebound and having nothing better to do than sway across the kitchen.
"They say some very nasty things, actually." Things that made Lei's ears turn pink. She was so quiet and small, the male workers sometimes forgot she was there, and so she heard much more than she really should.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 8:28 pm
"Yea. It happens a lot." That was the singlemost hated part of his job. Every guy felt threatened by him. It really wasnt his fault that his predictions were taken much too seriously.
"I really dont mean for it to happen. Honestly fortune telling is not always an exact science... you're supposed to take it as a suggestion, not a fact." He sighed and scuffed his foot. The sun was getting lower, and it wasnt going to be long before he had to leave and rejoin up with his traveling troupe again.
The freedom had been nice, but he really wanted to travel to the fire nation with them. "Hey, do you know of any good stalls selling unique jewelry around here?" The question was slightly out of nowhere, but thats what happened when Chao's mind wandered.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:08 pm
Quite unexpectedly, Lei started to laugh.
Not a mean or harsh laugh, but something he said had struck her so funny that she laughed until she finally started to cough and bent over double til she the fit passed.
"Oh. It's been awhile that anyone's sent me into a coughing fit. Congratulations," she said, turning around and smiling. Lei held out her arms, showing of her well kept, but obviously well worn robes. "I'm sorry, but as you can see, I don't exactly...have the money for jewlery, so I've never bothered to look." That, and being homebound for most of her life, the market was a frightful place. "My older sister Avani was the one who knew the ins and outs of the market, but she's...."
The smile remained on her face, but her clear green eyes seemed to cloud over.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:23 pm
He was rather affronted at her laughter, at first, but when she started to cough he got rather concerned. Was she sick? A concerned look crossed his face. "I'm sorry! I didnt mean to be funny and make you cough!" He was really flustered about it all, but she seemed fine.
"Your older sister huh? Where is she?" She seemed still happy, but there was a look in her eyes that Chao-shi wasnt particularly fond of... like the happiness had been sucked out of them. Wanting to cheer her up, he grinned again.
"Well, you probably know the market better than I... and I've enough money for the both of us! Would you like to go shopping?" Normally he was rather stingy with his money... but seeing as the old hag was going to take it from him when he got back anyways he might as well spend it.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:45 pm
Lei took a couple deep breaths, reassuring herself that her chest was not, in fact, starting to congest over again, then shook her head. "Oh, no, it's nothing to be concerned about, really. I've been sick since I was little, but recently a healer has taken care of it. He warned that it could be...what was it? Chronic and return, but it hasn't yet." She smiled brightly. "But too much physical exertion sometimes is a little much." Lei shrugged lightly. "But I can walk, and hold a job and even sit outdoors much longer than before, so in the end, I'm doing just fine."
"She left. A few weeks ago. To find our mother. Who left a few years ago."
The dark haired girl giggled. "Well. I know where the apothecary is. But nevermind, we can explore the market together, if you want."
She tugged on a braid nervously. Lei had always been the silly, carefree and flirty sister. But with Avani gone, she had no one to be silly for and found it harder and harder to be lighthearted in front of strangers.
All she could hope was that Avani returned before she became a smaller (cuter!) version of her sister.
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Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:28 pm
"She just left you all alone? Where did she go?" It seemed strange to him that an older sister would just leave the young (and slightly sick) girl alone. Hopefully she had someone else in her family still remaining, otherwise he might feel compelled to do something about it.
He offered his arm to the other girl and gave her a sincere smile. "Well come along then, and maybe we can find you something nice to hang around your pretty little neck!" It was nice to spend time with a girl who didnt care about predictions.
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