|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:04 pm
 This is a PRP between Xiu [Honeybii] and Bataar [Kayakurai].Setting:Bataar gets hungry.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:15 pm
The day was pleasantly cool and Xiu was glad for that. The soup kitchen was packed tightly with unfortunate lunarians with hungry bellies. As usually, the queue to the counter was out the door and every available table was jammed. The manager liked to joke that Xiu's cooking must be the best in the world, despite them both knowing that the potato and leek broth was mediocre at best. Still, Xiu continued to donate his time, not because he was any good at cooking, but because it felt like he was doing something good for someone else. He'd been volunteering so often now, in this run down part of the district, that he was beginning to recognize people.
"There he is now," Xiu muse aloud, illiciting a chuckle from one of the other helper. As if one cue, Xiu spotted the shrouded, hulking form of the familiar individual. Every day it was the same. The person would come and get his lunch, though kept his face hidden no matter how hot it got. The man reminded Xiu of someone, but he wasn't quite sure. He was going to see this person's face for sure today, so that he'd finally know who it was.
Smiling, Xiu continued to prepare the trays of food for the people in line, waiting patiently for the mysterious figure to come up next.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:39 pm
If there was one enormous problem in his life, it was definitely that he was unable to feed himself. Bataar had put on his fur cloak yet again and headed for the soup kitchen, simply because he could not cook and he could not order food. Menus and recipes were impossible to read, and ever since he'd passed out in the middle of sparring from nausea and a lack of food he'd decided that he better find some form of sustenance.
That was why he was here, and why he came here every single day. He'd always wanted to greet Xiu, but it had been impossible, and impossibly embarrassing at that if he were to be found out. The fact that a captain wasn't capable of feeding himself was pathetic, he knew, but it was true. Besides, he prided himself on donating to the soup kitchen at the very least, for he earned good wages as a captain.
Restaurants, however, were out of the question without being able to read a menu. He shuffled up to Xiu and took a tray discreetly, more than ready to scarf down the soup. He had eaten nothing else all day, and was desperate-- desperate enough to ignore the fact that his hood was beginning to slip off of his head in order to reveal his identity. It wasn't likely that any of the homeless people in the kitchen would know who he was, but Xiu certainly would and that wasn't a good thing. He'd be questioned for sure, maybe even made to answer. The truth, however, was way too embarrassing to own up to, and he'd do his best to avoid it.
That would be hard, though, given the fact that his face was now fully visible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:51 pm
Xiu craned his neck to get a good look at the face beneath the furred hood. It was all but impossible though. The thing was pulled down so far that the cast shadow kept the man's face well hidden. Trying to hide his disappointment and not seem to obvious about having had tried to sneak another peak, Xiu managed a genuine smile as he handed over the tray. "Please, enjoy," he chirped, bowing like he did to everyone person who went through the line.
As the hulking male moved off, Xiu made sure to keep a sharp eye on him as he continued to serve others. He couldn't believe his luck when that blasted hood slipped back. Xiu was about to crow in truimph as the ragged, scarred face was revealed, however, his whoop of joy clogged in his throat. Wait. He knew that face! Why hadn't he seen it before? After all, those skins were so a part of Bataar that it'd be impossible to mistake him. Yet, somehow, Xiu had.
"Bataar?" Xiu cried loudly over the din of voices. When the room slowly fell into a hush, Xiu quickly excused himself, his face flaming as he went to Bat's side. Thankfully, people started talking again, writing the incident off. "Bataar," the youth hissed in a much lower voice, his hand on the mongol's upper arm in a somewhat frantic manner. "Are you well, Bat? What are you DOING here?" The man was a captain for goodness sakes! Xiu knew full well that those type didn't go hungry. So that left the question, why was Bataar here?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:06 pm
He'd been hoping that Xiu wouldn't notice, that he'd be too caught up in giving out food to see that it was indeed Bat beneath the hood that had slipped. Clearly, he had no such luck. The man took a moment to rub his face before looking down at Xiu, who was now at his side. He swallowed, his eyes scanning the soup kitchen, relief filling them as he realized that there was no one who could possibly know him aside from the soul conduit.
He was flattered, really, by the other man's worry, but not sure how to respond. After all, he'd just gotten caught. "I--I was hungry." he admitted, looking faintly ashamed as he glanced down at the soul conduit. A grown man not being able to feed himself might have been a little impossible to believe, but it was more than just a little true. This inability and many more were the source of quite a lot of embarrassment for the man, however, and he hated to admit it.
In any case, he probably owed Xiu an explanation after eating his soup for such a long time. "I just didn't want to pass out again." he mumbled, looking truly pathetic as he did so. That was even more embarrassing than the food thing, and mortification seemed to be the word of the day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:14 pm
Xiu's brow furrowed in concern as he looked up at Bataar. He was hungry? That of course was obvious, but passing out? Was Bataar really not making enough money to get his own food? That would certainly explain why Bat was at the soup kitchen in the first place, but not his lack of funds. He certainly didn't look like someone who squandered his money, Bat lived it a yurt after all. How much could the upkeep for that cost? A dozen more of these questions flew through Xiu's head before he finally sighed.
"It's," Xiu searched for the right thing to say, "alright Bataar. That's what the kitchen is here for." His voice was a bit more gentler than usually as he reached up to pat Bataar's cheek soothingly, half hoping to get a rise out of the man. Xiu didn't like seeing that expression on the lunarian's face. It somehow didn't fit. "C'mon, Bat," Xiu continued, "why don't we go outside and talk some? It's a bit quieter than in here."
With a smile, Xiu picked up the tray with Bataar's half eaten food on it. Now the male would surely follow him if he was as hungry as he said. Xiu supposed it was a low blow, but his worry for Bataar outweighed the action. He was certainly going to get to the bottom of whatever was troubling Batarr.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:08 pm
Bataar was actually rather unknowingly rich. He'd never quite understood the currency of the Imperial City, or how to count it. Besides, there was the whole menu thing and the fact that he didn't even get the money-system. Back in his clan, they'd always bartered for things, like a sheep in exchange for clothing and things of that nature. This was not so here, but he'd always somehow made it by, miraculously enough. This was his current way of "making it by."
The man flushed as he noted that Xiu was trying to be sensitive to his needs and shrugged, following him out of the kitchen. "What's to talk about?" he asked, sounding a bit apprehensive. Conversation was not something he was looking forward to right now, especially when it came to this particular subject. He was childlike when it came to feeding himself, after all, although he knew he was expected to be a mature adult about all of it. That, however, had proven itself to be rather impossible.
He sat on a bench about a block down from the soup kitchen and held his hands out for the rest of his food, looking rather expectant. "I mean, why do we want a conversation now?" he added with a touch of anxiety.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:24 pm
"Nothing much," Xiu assured Bataar as they walked. He could practically feel the worry crawling off the man. This was new in and of itself as Xiu had never seen Bataar be anything but confident. How could such a strong warrior be brought down by something so small as food? Xiu had always believed that Bataar was capable of fending for himself, in a manner of speaking. He always seemed to be hunting or fighting or running around, making Xiu think things were fine. Not he didn't know what to think.
As they sat, Xiu handed the tray back to Bataar with another smile. The youth leaned back and pulled out a small crumpled bag of sweets from his pocket. "I got these from that bakery by the ramen shop. They taste much better than my soup, I think," he said teasingly as he offered a few of the sweet pieces to Bataar. Xiu paused for a moment, popping a treat into his own mouth as he thought over Bat's question.
"I guess...now would be as good a time as any, I think," Xiu finally admitted. "I'm just worried for you," he added bluntly, thinking that would be the best way to approach things. How else was he supposed to say it? "It's okay to ask for help sometimes, you know. That's what friends are for, right?" There, that should get his message across. Xiu would help Bataar as much as he was able, especially since the Mongol had helped Xiu many times in the past.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
