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 Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:12 am
"Hey, we'll catch up with you later!"
"Don't bend any fish at anyone while we're gone!"
"Haha, very funny," Petch grumbled as he watched his friends depart. They had all agreed that funds were running low and if they wanted to continue living the oh-so-exciting drifter life, they were going to need to find some money fast. Unfortunately for Petch, his skills varied greatly from his friends and while they were off to help haul rocks around, (...or break rocks with their heads or some other terribly masculine exercise involving rocks...) he was left behind to find his own way of making some quick copper.
He pushed himself off the barrel he was resting against with an aggravated sigh and slung his oar over his shoulder. "Man willing to work," he called out a few times as he stepped into the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. When that yielded no response, he made a face and tried again, "Anyone need a healer?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:00 pm
"No, Lei," Avani said, looking sternly down at her sister. "Don't you remember what happened last time some strange person said they were a healer?"
The bender's younger sister mumbled under her breath. "Yeah, but he was one of Papa's 'friends,' how could he be trusted anyway?"
Avani sighed. "We don't have any money anyway, just...come on." She took her sister's hand and gave it a tug. "Please just come on?"
The 13 year old little girl stood resolutly and stared up at her sister, but it was somewhat lessened as her small body would shake occasionally with coughing that never seemed to leave.
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:42 pm
Petch didn't hear the part about the pair not having any money, otherwise he wouldn't have paid them any attention. But since he didn't, he moved towards the sisterly pair as his latest call hadn't yielded any other interest.
Whatever a healer was supposed to look like, it was doubtful that Petch looked like one. His clothing was distinctly Earth Kingdom, though trimmed in fur, and while his skin had the darkness of Water Tribe members, that meant little in the highly diverse Earth Kingdom. However what did the most to hurt his case was surely the fact that he was covered in small cuts and scars -- if he was really a healer, why in the world would he look like he'd just been in a bar fight? (Which wasn't too far from the truth, really.)
"Did I hear right that you need a healer," he asked gruffly, eyeing the small coughing girl critically and then turning his attention towards Avani. He took the fact that she was dressed in rather fine robes and decorated in jewelry as a promising sign of future income on his part. Despite this, his expression remained rather stern.
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:20 pm
While Avani may have been nicely dressed, her face and hands were smuged with dirt and grim. Her sister contrasted her in every way. Lei's robes weren't as ratty as the ones Avani used to wear, since she almost never left the house, but they showed age. She wore no jewlery, but her face was scrubbed so well it had a pink tinge to it. The only thing nice on her was her small mahogany comb above one of her braids.
"No, I'm sorry, you heard wrong," Avani said, trying to side step the young man. She hoped to send him away with what she said next. "Besides, we only have enough coins to get the small bit of medicine for her."
She held several coins in her hand, knowing it wouldn't get nearly enough for her sister.
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:59 pm
Petch frowned at the response, looking at them again and now noticing the small tell-tale signs of the poor. Lovely. This was a waste of time.
"Why're you wasting your money on medicine that isn't working," he asked rather bluntly. No, he wasn't a miracle worker and he wasn't going to sell himself as such, but he was confident he could do more for this small girl than any herbal remedies.
"Whatever. Not my problem," he said dismissively and turned his back on the pair, calling out into the crowd once again, "Man willing to work."
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:12 pm
"Ugh, what a jerk," Avani said, kicking a small pebble at Petch, more forcibly then she intended. "Besides," she said, not caring if he was listening or not. "By the time we saved up enough money to get her a healer, Lei'd be..." She shook her head. "It wouldn't matter anymore. I'd much rather give her something that will at least keep her with us, if not cure her for good."
"You could be nicer," Lei said, glancing back at Petch.
"I hope he doesn't find any work. Then he'll know what it's like."
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:32 pm
The pebble bounced off Petch's foot and he looked back at the pair in annoyance. "Look, lady, I'm just trying to make lunch," he shot back over his shoulder, sounding exasperated. "I need money, you have money. You need a healer, I'm a healer. Sounds pretty simple to me."
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:47 pm
"You could stand to miss a few lunches," the darkhaired bender shot back angrily.
"Oh, come on," Lei said, whining. "If he doesn't care that you only have a little, then what do you care?" She lowered her voice. "Besides, he's kinda cute."
Avani shook her head. "You know what? I miss when you were little and stayed in the house. What's this sudden interest in boys you've gotten?"
"What's with your lack of interest?" Lei asked.
"You...little..." Avani turned back to Petch, took his hand and dropped the scant few coins into it. "Fine. You win," she said to Lei. "Let a complete stranger try to heal you, if he agrees. Maybe it'll go better this time."
"And I have some too!" Lei said, reaching into her apron pocket and pulling out an equal amount of coin. "I...um...have been saving?" Lei said sheepishly as Avani's jaw dropped.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:36 am
Petch's lips quirked into a brief smile as the coin was passed into his hands. Another healer would probably have asked for more, but he was desperate and this would be enough to get him by for awhile. Likewise, a better person would probably have turned away the smaller girl's money, but Petch was no such person.
"What're your names," he asked gruffly as he looked between the two girls.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:59 am
Avani, now too annoyed to respond, stood silently with her arms crossed. She just wanted to leave now.
"I'm Lei!" the smaller one said happily, as it wasn't often she got her way. "And that's my older sister, Avani. What's," here, she had to stop, starting to cough again and her little hands flew to cover her mouth. "What's your name?" she finally asked.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:08 pm
"Petch," he introduced himself as he unslung his oar, resting the tip against the ground. He looked over to Avani and snorted softly at her body language before turning back to Lei. "Tell me, is it just your chest or does it hurt in other places too?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:23 pm
"Petch? That's a funny name!" Lei said, giggle a little before going into another fit of coughing. After a moment she answered. "I don't know...I guess it's just my chest. I cough a lot, especially when I'm out doing things. And I'm always tired."
Avani uncrossed her arms and took a step closer to her sister. "She also wheezes a little when she breaths."
The teen tried not to sound hopeful. Disappointment after disappointment had left her pessimistic that her sister could even be helped.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:08 pm
Petch didn't join the small girl's laughter as he reached for a small flask at his side. "Bad water in your chest," he commented in a low voice as he uncorked the flask. His bedside manner could have used considerable work, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
He coaxed the water out of the flask, speaking as he did so, "Don't expect miracles, but this will help." He wasn't going to sugar coat it; if this girl was fatally ill, there was only so much that could be done without special waters. Whatever it was that ailed her though, he should be able to clear her chest of that cough for quite some time to come.
The water swirled in Petch's hand and as he moved his hand over Lei's chest, it began to glow brightly. As he moved his hand closer to her chest, the water seemed to move inside her and her chest glowed momentarily as it took effect.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 3:59 pm
Lei looked down at her chest, watching Petch's hands. "Coooollll..." she said quietly. She took a deep breath in and held if for a mintue.
"Hey!" she said, breathing out. "I don't need to cough!" She tugged at Avani's sleeve. "I feel better!"
Avani scoweled at Petch. "Yeah, well, don't expect it to last long," she said, not taking her eyes off of Petch.
"Oh, be quiet," Lei said, sticking out her tongue. "So...where are you from? You're clothes look a little strange."
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 4:49 pm
"A little bit of everywhere," he replied gruffly, keeping his eyes on Avani as he spoke. "I'm just a drifter, scraping to get by."
He crouched down in front of Lei, speaking to her earnestly, though his expression remained grim. "I'm glad you're feeling better. You're too young to be sick."
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