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 Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:58 pm
She'd gotten up at the crack of dawn and walked down to the blind center to meet up with her team this morning. Not her Senshi team, no, but the team that would be working to sell some of the crafts the blind center patrons had been working on over the past few months. Between the half dozen or so of them that there were, they had stuffed all of their supplies into the back of a beat up old van the manager owned and gone downtown before the busy hours started.
Khalla was stationed at one of three tables with a kid that seemed like he would rather be anywhere else but here - the manager's son, and a brat if she ever knew one. Like he really cared what they were doing. He seemed more interested in looking at her butt every time she stood up to make a sale.
Not that there had been many sales. There hadn't been almost any. The first few hours Khalla had expected to go slowly, after all, how many people were out at 6 in the morning? As time passed and the sidewalk in front of their booth began to pick up, however, she had hoped people would stop and look at the things splayed over the table. Handcrafted baskets, necklaces, bracelets.
Her 'partner' (the sniveling brat) had dismissed himself some time ago to go get something to eat and hadn't been back, leaving Khalla to fend for herself. All she could do was stand at her table, her long braid pushed back over her should, calling out into a crowd that swallowed her voice almost as soon as it left her lips. "Folks, wouldn't you like to buy beautifully handcrafted goods and support a good cause at the same time? All benefits go to the blind center!" The minutes ticked by and no one even gave her little booth so much as a glance, no matter how hard she tried to grab their attention. How could people be so heartless?
Khalla flopped back into her chair dejectedly, a frown on her face as she propped her chin on her hands. Maybe it was just because it was the lunch hour - people always had somewhere to be during the lunch hour.
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:26 pm
Ursula's 'somewhere to be' this lunch hour just so happened to put her directly in front of Khalla's stand of homemade knickknacks.
How unfortunate.
One impatient shoe tapped against the curb as she did her best to keep from making eye contact with the little blonde behind the table. Ursula had arranged to meet with Khaldun at the corner of First and Second so that she could take him shopping for last minute Christmas presents for Audrey (okay so, she was really there to make sure he got something for Gunn, but she couldn't exactly phrase it that way or the twerp would never show up). And yet, of course, he had yet to show. And there were beggers with tables keeping her company.
Jesus, Ursula had even been on time for this meeting!
Eyes shifted, and she glanced at the crafts out of boredom, then away from the table. Sheesh. Not only was this a time for shopping, but a time for begging, apparently. At least this group actually had something to offer, instead of simply clanging some obnoxious bell with a bucket next to them!
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:43 pm
Khalla had been sitting there looking pitiful (a tactic which didn't seem to be working either, not that she had actually been trying that approach or anything) for a few moments when she noticed the woman standing in front of her. At first it was just the fiery hair, something that set her pulse racing as she tried to crane her neck around the bustling crowd to get a better look. Upon closer inspection she realized it was in fact not the Negaverse woman she had met previously, just a woman that looked as if she were waiting for something.
Well, if the opportunity was just going to fall into her lap, she was going to take it!
Gathering up the best items on the table (a small weaved basket and a few of the necklaces) and pushing them forward, Khalla scooted out from her post behind the table to stand in front of it instead. She was wearing her usual pale get-up - a long, fitted white coat over slacks that were tucked into white boots. She wore a lot of white, but at least she wore appropriate clothing for the weather.
She hesitated for a moment as she decided how to approach her. Clearing her throat would be rude, and irritating. Reaching out to tap her shoulder would be a definite invasion of space. Finally, Khalla simply settled on putting on her best smile and taking a few steps out until she could lean out into Ursula's 'bubble' and get her attention. "Hi there," her voice was pleasant and probably cheery enough for ten people, "I noticed you were just standing her and I was wondering I might borrow a bit of your time? I have some lovely hand-crafted jewelry that I'm sure you'd be interested in." Her smile remained fixed in place as she stared up at the older woman, hands clasped behind her back.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 6:37 am
Ursula let out an exaggerated sigh.
Great. Now they were getting desperate.
She turned around to stare at the woman who dared to invade her space, orange eyes looking her up and down. In contrast to the whiteness before her, Ursula was adorned in her signature color of black upon black. A black turtleneck that ran down into a short miniskirt, her legs protected by the black (quite fashionable) knee-high boots.
"You can't borrow my time, as there's no way for you to return it back to me," she snapped, one eyebrow rising as she looked at the offerings presented in front of her. What the hell would she do with a basket? It wasn't even large enough to fit anything in there, and it's not like she didn't already have enough boxes back at home to take care of storing things. The necklaces were greatly lacking; they certainly didn't come from Tiffany's. Or hell, even Target. "What is it you're trying to do, Miss...? I mean, I get that you're begging, but what is it for this time? Pregnant unwed mothers? Cheerleading camp? I admit, baskets are a pretty new one for me. Don't you have like...little coupon books or something?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:03 am
Smile, and bite your tongue. Oh, Khalla could be sweet when people were sweet to her. She did have a little bit of a problem tolerating people who thought they could walk all over her though. But being that she was trying to get these things sold, she realized she couldn't really afford to scare off a potential customer. Instead she needed to find the right angle - it was just too bad that her skills were in helping others, not business.
"My mistake then," she replied calmly to Ursula's disapproval of 'borrowed time'. Khalla didn't, in fact, see the big issue if she was just standing here waiting anyway, but instead of telling her that she kept smiling that blinding smile. Gran had always said you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. "Khalla, my name is Khalla, though 'Miss' really isn't necessarily." She didn't know how wise it was to offer a perfect stranger (and a moody one at that) her name, but it would have been rude to ignore a direct question.
When given the opening, she took it to explain just what they were doing here.
"My partner and I," she paused here to look over at the booth, checking to see if he'd returned yet - which he had not, "are selling crafts made by folks down at the blind center. It doesn't get much funding so to remain open we have to have fundraisers like this." She waved a hand back at the goods arrayed on the table behind her, still smiling good naturedly despite the rudeness radiating off Ursula in waves. She could be good, see? Not that she really wanted to be, or would have been if the situation were any different.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:11 am
Without being prompted, Ursula introduced herself, making sure her engagement ring was well within sight. She loved the sound of her own name, and certainly had no issue handing it out to any or everyone that listened.
When the girl explained herself and her crafts, the older woman merely stared. Charity work was a foreign concept to Ursula, always had, and probably always would be. "Shouldn't the blind be selling their own items?"
Eyes wandered back over the contents of the basket in the girl's hand, the flame-haired woman finding amusement in the younger girl's name. Khalla. Khal. Ironic, especially considering it was Khal that she was waiting on.
"Regardless, it's very generous of you to offer your time.... though I have to ask, Miss Khalla, why sacrifice your day to selling things for others clearly capable of selling their own products? What's in it for you? Percent of profits?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:15 am
Khalla listened to the introduction, though her eyes were instantly drawn to the engagement ring dangling on her finger - what girl's wouldn't be? Instead of awe, however, a sense of irritation swelled in her. Khalla was pretty sure the money spent on that gaudy thing could feed a whole family. With her goal in mind, she simply turned her gritted teeth into a smile and set her basket down before she broke it with clenched fists.
"Actually, blind people aren't very good at selling their own products," she was trying very had not to make snarky comments or mock the woman in front of her who seemed to care very little about things like physical handicaps. "That's probably why I'm sacrificing," why on earth was she making it sound like a death sentence?, "my day. I do actually enjoy helping people that are less fortunate than me, I don't have to gain anything from it." She shrugged a little and reached up to pull her braid over her shoulder, a motion completely born of nerves and perhaps a little from having to fight off her urge to snap.
"Would you please just look at them? It really is for a good cause, and if we don't sell most of these we're not going to have the funds for some of the things at the center this month." She was getting desperate now, she was actually beginning to consider begging if she had to.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 12:10 pm
"Oh, I'm looking at them," she snorted, her eyes now leaving the basket to meet with the other girl's. Some of her annoyance was gone, replaced by... mischief?
The idea that someone would do something for someone else without gaining some sort of benefit was absurd. Maybe Little Dread's philosophy had begun rubbing off on her. Maybe she just thought that way because that's how she did things. Either way, Ursula refused to believe that this little wisp of a girl was willing to give up her entire day for a bunch of strangers just to get them new checkerboards and pillows. And she was going to prove she was right.
"You enjoy it, huh? I bet you're only willing to do what you want to do. I bet you'd put yourself before others, when it really came down to it."
She smirked, one hand having risen to rest on her hip. Khal, as late as he was, had been long forgotten. "I bet you just do it for that warm fuzzy feeling inside, but if you really had the opportunity to help out, you wouldn't bother inconveniencing yourself."
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 12:35 pm
This was quickly beginning to get under her skin. How dare she imply that Khalla was doing this for anything other than the obvious reasons? Khalla enjoyed that warm fuzzy feeling she got when she saw the joy she brought others, but who didn't? She knew deep down that her actions were selfless - the memory of broken nose still rung fresh in her mind.
"I think you're very wrong about that," she brought her arms up and crossed them over her chest. Her chin rose a little in defiance and her mood was quickly plummeting. She wasn't sure she needed to have this woman buy anything from her after all - she wasn't very nice. There had to be others out there.
"I help out no matter what and do everything I can for anyone that needs it," and it was the truth. She had been willing to die for one single civilian and probably would have if Saiph hadn't saved her. That was what she held onto as Ursula stared her down with that awful smirk on her lips. Urusula was wrong. "Some people just don't understand true acts of selflessness." Well, that was a bit snarky, but she was tired of being nice at this point. She was just trying to help someone, she didn't come here to have this diva take shots at her.
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 12:45 pm
"Oh really?"
The grin should have warned Khalla. It was too cheerful, far too cheerful. Ursula moved to fold her arms over her chest, her purse dangling from her right hand. Her head tilted slightly, and both eyebrows rose. "If that's the case, then here's a proposition. My bag carrier has apparently ditched me for the day. If I buy all of your..." her eyes wandered to the table and over the piles of crap she'd be forced to hoist onto unfortunate victims like Audrey Collins, "...stuff, you have to agree to do whatever I say for the rest of the afternoon."
The grin widened, her fingers strumming themselves against her pale arm. She wouldn't do it. Miss Warm and Fuzzy was going to back down, and Ursula would win the argument. Even if she didn't, Ursula would still have gained herself a new playtoy to use for the last few hours she had left to shop with. Either way, Ursula would win. And Ursula liked winning.
"So how about it, Khal?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 1:49 pm
Khalla actually had to think about it. She took a long moment as she stared up at Ursula, into those eyes and at that wicked grin that said clearly 'I've won'. Her hands tightened on her arms and she fought herself inside her own head.
"All of it?" she finally asked, the frown on her face clearly visible. She didn't like being a pawn in anyone's game, but was it really her choice to deny those people? If it was in her power to do everything possible to help them, could she really be selfish enough to turn away? This woman obviously had nothing on Tanzanite. It was that final thought that tipped her over the edge and she threw up her arms in a defeated notion. "Fine, whatever you want for the rest of the afternoon."
However, she wasn't going to let her get away before she paid for this - she didn't think she could trust her as far as she could throw her, to be perfectly honest. So instead she stepped around the table again and pulled out a small calculator. Her fingers tapped away at the buttons for a minute before she turned it around and showed the price to Ursula. "Cash or check, whichever you'd prefer, then I guess I'm all yours." The words left a nasty taste in her mouth, and she was obviously unhappy. But it was all for the greater good, right?
"As soon as we're done, I'll call my partner," she put an emphasis on this to show just how much she thought of their arrangement, being that he was still gone, "and have him box these up for you to pick up later."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:10 pm
She winced as the girl totaled up the value of the items on the table, and she begrudgingly wrote a check out (slowly) to cover the costs. If she played her cards right, perhaps there'd be some way she could pawn off all of this s**t for a tax cut with Goodwill. Or something.
"This better be delivered," she said huffily, signing her name off on the bottom line, "Else you'll be the one carrying them all to my apartment, I hope you realize."
Once the check was passed from one hand to the other, the smile returned on Ursula's face. It was time to have some fun.
"So, Khal, since my little shopping buddy left me, let's first get you spruced up to look the part, shall we? Nothing a new little hairstyle can't fix; I could use a new manicure anyhow."
Glancing down at her fingers, she shrugged, then clicked her heels down the sidewalk in the direction of her favorite beauty salon. They'd work in her special request, or at least, Gaston would. He was always the sweetheart about these things, and had a sense of humor that only Ursula could understand. He'd find the humor.
Her fingers snapped, and she motioned for the girl to follow. "Come on now, Khal, chop chop. It's not like anyone's going to try to steal that crap, so you may as well leave it. Your little partner will come back soon enough, I'm sure."
And with that, she was down the street, off to begin her afternoon of shopping.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2009 3:38 pm
Khalla nodded with a bit of a frown on her lips, watching the woman sign the check with so much huffing and puffing. This felt almost dirty, kind of like she was selling her soul to the devil. Anyone else would probably think it wasn't a very good deal. Regardless, she took the check and stuffed it into her pocket, making sure it was secure before she pulled out her cell. She might be comfortable leaving the goods alone for a few minutes, but definitely not a check worth that amount.
She flipped through her contact list quickly and pressed send, her eyes warily watching Ursula as she began to turn away. After quite a few rings, the line on the other end picked up, and Khalla let out a sigh of relief. "Look, I don't really have time to explain, but a woman bought all the merchandise and I need you to come box it so we can deliver it later." A pause, the indistinct chatter of someone talking was coming through the earpiece. "You've been on break long enough, just come do this and then you can quit, okay? It's everything, there's nothing left to sell." She sighed, obviously about to argue with the boy on the other end, when Ursula beckoned for her to follow.
"I don't have time to argue, I've got to go. Just do it or I'll have to tell your father." She closed the phone with a grimace, her last threat ringing in her ears. It was a low blow but she really didn't have time for his sniveling excuses today. She just pocketed the phone and followed the clicking heels of the woman that had bought her for the day (now she sounded more like a prostitute and that wasn't any more comforting), trailing along at her side like a lost puppy.
"What exactly does 'spruced up' mean? What kind of hair-" she cut herself off with a shake of the head, despite her curiosity. She didn't really have any say in this, so why was she asking? "Fine, whatever you'd like, Ursula." It was just as proper as her Gran had ever taught her, but she'd managed to make it sulky and distrusting all at once. She was afraid of what she'd committed to now after looking at that smile on Ursula's face but what choice did she have? She'd sold her soul to the devil already and she didn't think she was inclined to give it back any time soon.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:21 pm
"Oh, I think you'll like this." Ursula said with a smirk, glancing over her shoulder at the girl trailing behind, the sulk apparent on her face. They'd only just begun, and already the older woman was as thrilled as ever. Oh, this little twit would regret the day she tried to approach Ursula Johnson over buying her homemade crap. "And even if you don't, I will. And that's all that matters today, dear."
The two traveled in silence for the next few minutes, traveling block after block as they made their way further into downtown Destiny City. A few blocks further and they would soon be standing outside the entrance of The Hairem, Ursula's preference of hair salons.
"Mmm. If you're lucky, I might even let you get your nails done," she mused cheerfully, looking thoughtfully up at the front sign of the tackily named shop, "It'll be fun to pick out the color. Green? Bright red? Yellow? Oh, this is going to be so much fun, Khal, I can just tell!"
Letting out a cackle, high heels strutted forward and into the shop, the door left open for Ursula's shopping assistant.
It was going to be a long day for poor Khalla.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:57 pm
Khalla had to disagree - she didn't think she was going to like anything this woman had in mind for her at all.
A deal was a deal though and Khalla followed the woman like a shadow, a very bright shadow none-the-less. Her arms crossed over her chest out of a nervous habit and she stared ahead of them in an attempt to figure out where the woman was headed. She had assumed shopping, but as the click of Ursula's heels brought them closer and closer to what appeared to be a hair salon, Khalla felt a sinking feeling in her chest. That feeling only swelled as Ursula stopped in front of it and began to list off what she could only assume were hair colors. Green?
Khalla enveloped her arms around her torso, tugging her coat tighter to her body as she stared at the entrance like it was the gates to hell. She could have turned and left, she could have run away as soon as Ursula disappeared through the door. That wasn't honorable though and she had no doubt Ursula would have canceled the check if she did. As she mentally resigned herself to Ursula's idea of a good time, all she could do was remind herself that it was for a good cause.
"I doubt this is going to be anything short of cruel and unusual torture," she said under her breath to herself, then simply followed Ursula into the hair salon.
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