|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:07 pm
It was freezing, it was cold, and Whisper was staring at the ocean.
Again.
There was something about that girl, and obsession. Last time, it had been weirdness. This time, it was bending.
If someone snuck up behind her, she could easily be pushed into the water. And she wouldn't even notice until she hit the bottom.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:19 pm
Damn cold. It was unhealthy.
Chen groused to himself mentally, wrapped in a parka he'd gotten for himself soon after talking to that water tribe girl. How could the water tribes /live/ like this? Water was water, right? Why couldn't they live somewhere tropical?
The young earthbender was currently on his way to the ocean, trying for hte umpteenth time that day to see if he could spot the ship that was supposed to be picking him up sometime this week. However, his plans were stopped short when he spotted the waterbender from before. Whisper, the thought? Ah, what did he know, she could well have been a Becky. He'd never had very good name memory. It was too much trouble to memorize them.
"Yo." He called, once he'd started moving again and gotten within earshot. "You learned how to swim, yet?" Not particularly the best opening to a conversation Chen Shing had ever come up with, but he thought it was fine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:24 pm
Yup. She was definitely blanking out there.
Completely ignoring the greeting, Whisper crouched further down, skimming the surface of the water with one hand. Then she closed her eyes and blew on it, as if trying to chill it further past its near frozen state.
Only then did she become aware of the teenage boy standing behind her. "Oh, hi." She racked her memory for the name. "Chen," she added quickly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:36 pm
Huh. A lot less jittery than she was before. She'd nearly drowned, that time.
"How's it going.... uh... Whisper?" Chen was a lot more open about his lack of sufficient memory. The boy walked closer, into what he judged to be a comfortable speaking distance, keeping his hands jammed into the pockets of his parka.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:41 pm
"Good." Whisper flashed a quick smile, then returned her eyes to the ground. "You?"
Before he could answer, she suddenly blurted out, "So what stuff do you have this time?" This was said very fast, after which Whisper flipped the hood of her anorak back over her head.
Maybe she was less jittery, but apparently her shyness hadn't quite been conquered yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:55 pm
"Well, I-" Chen stopped, surprised out of warming to his subject. Probably a good thing, too. He'd only be complaining about the cold, or gloating about his recent sales.
Shaking himself out of the surprise, he slipped a twitch of a grin onto his face, and shrugged off his pack. Why not? He had to admit, he liked the look on her face when she saw his merchandise.
"Why don't you see for yourself? I've got too much stuff to bring it all out. Just don't break anything." The last words were added with a teasing air as the boy held out his pack to Whisper. The doll was still there- no one had wanted to buy it, and it was probably all for the best. He thought he'd said something about holding it for her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:02 pm
Now Whisper had to remove her hood, to get a full view of the vendibles. She sucked in her breath when she saw the doll. Gently, she lifted it out of the pack, handling it as if it was the favorite toy of a princess seven-hundred years ago. "So, you still have this," she said faintly. A little redundant, but Whisper was like that.
Whisper sorely wanted to get it. She now had the money for it, unless the other orphans had stolen it since this morning. But no, she had to save her copper pieces. She had to save it for -
But she really, really, wanted the doll.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:07 pm
"Yup." Chen eyed Whisper's face, vaguely surprised by the pure want that adorned it as she held the doll. He must have not remembered clearly exactly how much she'd wanted it on their first meeting. Quickly, he conjured up a (mostly) true add-on. "I held it for you, since you wanted it so bad last time." A little white lie never hurt anyone, did it? No, it didn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:22 pm
Whisper smiled again. "That was sweet of you." He didn't seem the type to purposelly hold on to an item - he was a merchant, after all - but it was sweet, all the same. "Thank you," she added.
Then she sighed. "But I can't get it," she said regretfully. Although her resolve was breaking down. Sure, she couldn't afford to spend her scarce money on trivial things like dolls, but it was such a little thing...
She snickered at herself, mentally. Mooning over a small cloth doll! But she was a little girl at heart, and what was a girl without her doll?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:26 am
Ah.... Damn. Whisper was positively soaked in 'cute little girl.'
Damndamndamn. Augh, merchant's worst nightmare, or at least his. Now he'd feel guilty if she didn't get the doll somehow. Chen Shing sighed heavily to himself, taking his pack back from Whisper (but careful not to take the doll) and shrugging it back on.
"You really do like that thing, huh?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 3:59 pm
Whisper's face was back in the shadow of her anorak, as she cradled the doll softly. "Well...yes. Of course. All your stuff is lovely," she said, even though she hadn't even looked at any of his other merchandise.
"Here." She held the doll back out, patting its little cloth head one last time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:18 pm
All his stuff was lovely, indeed. Not that he doubted the fact- Chen didn't sell second rate trash- but Whisper'd gone straight for the little doll, even when she'd had full reign of his pack.
"Uh huh."
Chen Shing took the doll from Whisper and looked at it skeptically for a moment or three, weighing his options. Give Whisper the toy, make room in his pack for other things, and make her happy, or keep it and walk away with the doll feeling heavier than usual.
Augh. He hated making decisions like this. What the hell. It was too troublesome...
His mind finally made up, the earthbending boy sighed, then held the doll out to Whisper with a faint grin. "Nah, you keep it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:33 pm
Whisper had already begun to shuffle back, when he held the doll back out.
It took her several moments to process what he said. And several more moments after that to formulate intelligible words with her mouth. "R-really?"
A hand stretched out toward the doll, then quickly retreated. "But I'll have to pay you! I can't just take it. I've earned some money by feeding some Elephant Koi - they're giant, have you ever seen one? - and, true, I was planning to save it for other things, but I can't just take it and - "
The floodwaters had been let loose; she was definitely babbling. Hopefully the shy Whisper would return soon, because this chattering one could easily talk your ear off, make it roll over, and play dead. But to be offered a gift was too much. She'd have to pay for it; orphans were not supposed to get presents! Or at least, lavish ones like this one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:20 pm
To say that Chen was taken aback by the sudden flood of words was putting it lightly. And of course, if he took money from her now, he'd feel guilty as sure as his little sister would brandish a mop at him if he tracked mud into the house. Too troublesome..
When he was convinced that the floodgate of words wouldn't be ending anytime soon, Chen sighed and scratched at his neck with his free hand. Finally, he simply tossed the doll in a low underhand arc towards Whisper, figuring it would force the girl to catch it. "Tell you what. If you tell people what a cool merchant I am, I'll consider us even. Okay?" Well, it was some form of exchange, at least, which he thought would make Whisper feel better about taking the doll. And at the very least, it was decent PR.
But we all know that he was just making up excuses now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:05 pm
Whisper did catch it, which was surprising. She never did have good hand-eye coordination - or any sort of coordination, to be honest. Except when she was bending. But that was irrelevant considering she rarely bended.
But here, miraculously, she caught it - and was shocked back into silence. She hugged the little doll tightly, eyes downcast. Then, timidly, she gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Deal," she said.
Then she fled. She smiled all the way home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
