| On the Way Home; Jingling all the way~ | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 30 2015, 09:38 PM (215 Views) | |
| MetalJimmor | Jan 30 2015, 09:38 PM Post #1 |
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Sparks shot off in all directions, the vibrant orange and red flame roaring against the gray steel beam that was locked in place beside another. Steadily the colorlessness of the metal was replaced by a red glow and the once adamant material began to lose it’s shape. The jet of fire bit into the metal, first leaving an indent that grew ever wider into a cut, and steadily still until the flame went through the beam entirely. Finally the one metal beam became two and the fire stopped, and the tall stepped back to admire his work. Jing Li was out of breath and covered in sweat. He’d been working all day under the hot Sun, though he rarely minded the heat. Growing up in the Fire Nation made one very resilient to warm temperatures. The work, however, was exhausting. Fortunately it was nearly closing time. Rather than his usual outfit he wasn’t wearing his usually black and gold vest. Instead he wore a blacksmith’s apron and face mask, as well as thick black gloves that went up to his forearm. He was on the job, and though he was a natural firebender he was still expected to wear equipment for personal safety. He also wore a simple white shirt and grey pants which were also provided by the work site. Something about his usual outfit being too fancy for the job. In fact the only piece of clothing he was allowed to keep was the green headband tied around his forehead, and only because Jing Li had insisted that he kept it on due to an embarrassing scar. Finally the work bell rang and he knew his shift was over. He packed up his things, which included a small tin toolbox that contained the remains of his lunch and his own pointed tip boots with bells on their toes, and took off his protective gear. The company didn’t mind him taking the shirt and pants home, but the boots were suppose to stay on site with the rest of the gear. Once he was ready he started off on his long walk back home. He didn’t live in the best of neighborhoods. Most of the buildings were old and the streets were fairly dirty. There were few on the street even during this time of day, not since so many of them migrated to the Spirit Wilds. In truth if Jing Li’s job wasn’t so nearby he may have gone there too. A part of him considered heading off to the main street of downtown Republic City where performers and a crowd could often be found, but he decided against it. He was exhausted, and all he really wanted to do was get home and sleep. With every labored step his boots and the bells of his headband jingled, drawing looks from the occasional pedestrian he passed by. Of course he was use to their looks. He may as well be a giant, standing more than a head taller than most other people he met. Still, he liked to think it was his bells and not his freakish size that got their attention. |
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| PeculiarLilliputian | Jan 31 2015, 02:39 AM Post #2 |
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'Quiet' certainly seemed a fitting descriptor for the side streets of Republic City. Only a handful of people were wandering through, even though most work places were changing shifts for the evening. The few that were out seemed to be residents of the various apartments, milling about as they made their way home or towards some mysterious destination. In a way, it was almost relaxing. A lack of people meant that there were fewer who were likely to attack someone, and it would be easy to see them coming if so. Of course, there would also be less witnesses, and depending on the closeness of the community, there'd be fewer people willing to step in and assist. Mentally, Meizhen reprimanded herself for the thought, even as she began to study her surroundings more closely. It was almost insulting to be paranoid of these people, as most were in very similar situations to her own. They were people just trying to get by, something the young woman easily understood. Sighing, the brunette woman glanced to the bag in her hand, checking to make sure the contents hadn't spilled. It was a blue canvas thing, with 'Narook's Noodlery' embroidered on the side. Inside sat a cheap plastic bowl filled with seaweed noodles, broth, and a variety of spices that had seemed odd at the time of cooking. It really should have been obvious sooner than the order had been a prank, honestly. Nobody put Fire Flakes in their seaweed noodles, after all. All the same, the owner had sent the waitress to deliver the food, still dressed in the blue and purple uniform of the shop. Food that was likely to be thrown out once she brought it back, since nobody else would be likely to eat it. Which lead Meizhen to her current situation of feeling a bit more distinctive than she would have liked. Although, the odd stare in her direction had tapered off finally, as the few people on the street turned their attention elsewhere. It took until the sound of bells reached her ears before the green-eyed woman mimicked everyone else, and looked down the street. A particularly tall man was making his way up the street, dressed in rather plain clothes and jingling as he walked. As he drew closer, it became easier for her to see the ragged and dirty state of his clothes, as well as the general weariness about him. Hm... He seems the strong type. Well built. Combined with such a simple uniform, I would wager he is leaving some sort of physical labor for the day. The thought gave Meizhen pause. While she had personally never had particularly physically demanding jobs, the waitress had met many laborers in her time, and was aware of how rough such work could be. This knowledge, combined with the fact that many seemed to be staring at the poor man, seemed to draw some sort of sympathy from her. With another sigh and glance at the noodles, she made her way across the street. "Excuse me, sir. May I borrow your attention for a moment?" The blue-clad woman called out to the man as she approached him. Her expression remained one of calm amusement, even upon the realization that she barely came up to his shoulders. Tilting her head back to look him in the face, Meizhen forced a wider smile on her face, in hopes of appearing friendlier. "I noticed that you appeared fatigued, and was wondering if you would be at all interested in acquiring some food to perhaps assist in making you feel more alert and nourished." |
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| MetalJimmor | Jan 31 2015, 11:38 PM Post #3 |
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Jing Li blinked as a small woman called out to him. He turned to look as she approached him with some sort of package in hand. It was strange, he didn’t recognize her at all. For the most part the people of the city tended to stare but not approach. When she stopped in front of him the difference in size became immediately apparent. The gargantuan man stared down at the young woman after coming to a stop. “Uh, sure. What did you need?” he asked after the woman asked for his attention. At first he thought she might just want directions, but then she smiled a wide, unnerving smile that took the man off guard almost immediately. Her smile was very obviously a fake one, and if not then surely she was up to something nefarious. Her choice in words didn’t help either. She was articulate, though perhaps overly so. Jing Li watched the woman with his amber eyes, trying to decide if her offer was genuine or something else. “I… Uh… Well, what do you have?” he finally asked, eyes glancing between her smiling face and the bag of food stuffs. |
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| PeculiarLilliputian | Feb 1 2015, 12:14 AM Post #4 |
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Upon noticing the uncertainty in the large man's voice, the young woman's smile faltered. Perhaps she should have planned this out better. He didn't seem particularly concerned otherwise, however. 'Perhaps he simply has a natural poker face.' Once he asked about her wares, Meizhen held up the bag so he could see it better. "In my possession is a bowl of delicious seaweed noodles, courtesy of Narook's Noodlery, located a mere ten blocks away from the Harmony Tower." The last part of her sentence sounded very obviously rehearsed, as well as a bit silly. Unless the man had literally moved to Republic City that very day, he knew where Narook's was. Everyone knew where Narook's was. Opening the bag, the waitress removed the bowl and uncovered it for target's inspection. The bowl still felt warm, though it certainly wasn't the piping hot that a fresh dish would be, and looked rather normal aside from the broth. It had taken on a slightly darker and redder hue than the usually clear soup. "This particular bowl contains a splendid blend of savory and spicy flavors, including two teaspoons of oyster sauce, half a teaspoon of plum sauce, one teaspoon of what is colloquially known as 'pigster' sauce, and two pinches of flaming fire flakes." Pausing for a moment, the brunette looked the gigantic man over. "The perfect dish for one with an appreciation for Fire Nation flavors, yes?" |
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| MetalJimmor | Feb 1 2015, 07:10 AM Post #5 |
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Jing Li listened calmly as she rattled off exactly what she had in her bag in a manner that could only be described as straight out of an ad one might hear on the radio. He leaned over to get a closer look at the admittedly delicious looking noodles, only to be hit by that familiar scent of Water Tribe cuisine. Jing Li didn’t much care for water tribe food, but did his best to hide his mild dislike all the same. He didn’t want to insult the noodle peddler, after all. Still, he was quite hungry. His lunch had been a meager sandwich patched together from some bread and a single leaf of lettuce. It wasn’t very filling for a normal man, much less a man of Jing Li’s stature, but it was all he could scrounge together until his next pay day. Despite his dislike for the food his stomach growled audibly, causing the man to straighten up, fold his arms across his chest, and look to the side with a slight tinge of embarrassment crossing his face. “Right, that uh.. That sounds nice,” he admitted, trying to pretend that his stomach hadn’t just given away his want for the food. He looked back to the woman with a casual expression, trying not to seem overly interested. “So… How much would these noodles cost me?” |
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| PeculiarLilliputian | Feb 1 2015, 04:30 PM Post #6 |
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Had Meizhen been a more emotionally obvious person, she'd have grinned at the sound of the jingling man's stomach growling. Either he actually enjoyed seaweed noodles, or more likely, he was hungry enough to eat just about anything. However, she kept her calm expression, and watched as he awkwardly tried to hide his interest in the food. Perhaps this tactic would have proved fruitful during recruitment, back then... "Under standard circumstances in the restaurant, you would be expected to pay around eight yuan for such a delectable order." The brunette began her little speech, motioning towards the bowl once more. "With such fresh ingredients and array of quality sauces like these, you can understand the price." It wasn't a lie, Narook's did have some fantastic quality control. "However, these are obviously not the ideal conditions. We are lacking in the proper environment to fully enjoy this dish, and unfortunately, it has cooled over time, diluting the warm and inviting sensation that you would achieve in our restaurant." The young woman shifted slightly, though showed no other signs of discomfort. Normally, she wouldn't be this chatty, but Tao had been encouraging her to be more friendly with potential customers. "Due to this, I am willing to part with such a filling and nourishing meal for a mere five yuan. Although, I suppose it would be allowable to haggle, if the price is not to your taste." |
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| MetalJimmor | Feb 5 2015, 07:05 PM Post #7 |
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Jing Li nodded his head knowingly as the woman explained what her price was. Narook’s Noodles wasn’t the priciest place in town, but still more expensive than simply buying food from a store and cooking it yourself. Granted, Jing Li wasn’t the best cook in the world, and he knew he was almost out of food at home. He’d have to make a trip to the market, and he was exhausted as is. The thought of such a quest make his stomach growl louder than ever. Still, he kept a calm, stony expression as he regarded the saleswoman. He raised a brow as she mentioned her final price, then her willingness to haggle. Alright Jing Li, this is your chance… He thought to himself as he considered how cheaply he could potentially get the noodles he now so coveted. “…. Two yuan,” he suggested. He could go a bit higher than that, but he was hoping he could avoid paying too much. |
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| PeculiarLilliputian | Feb 5 2015, 09:28 PM Post #8 |
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The young brunette couldn't help but smirk subtly at the sound of the man's stomach growling once again. He truly is quite desperate for food, she mused to herself. His stoic expression in light of this was admirable, however. "Two yuan? That is quite the discount price you are asking for." Meizhen looked the giant man over once more, nodding to herself while doing so. Bringing one hand to her face, she tapped her chin with her index finger. He was interested enough in the food to be willing to pay for it, at least. "Perhaps I could allow to give away this delicious meal for such a price... on one condition." The waitress' expression became serious. "Would you please inform me as to why you would suggest a small sum for such a finely crafted meal? I truly wish to know." |
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| MetalJimmor | Feb 5 2015, 11:43 PM Post #9 |
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“Hmm?” He listened to what the tiny saleswoman had to say about his asking price. He was surprised she was even considering it. After all, that was less than half of the discount price! An overwhelmingly good deal. He did the math in his head, thinking back to the eight yuan price she had specified originally. He looked down at her, eyes boggling ever so subtly as his brain did mental gymnastics trying to figure out how large the discount would be without counting on his fingers. That would be… Seventy five percent off! I didn’t think she’d go for that! Be cool, Jing Li. Be cool. Steady… Show no sign of emotion. I’ll just answer her question and those noodles will be mine. He straightened out his face and made a move to talk, but no sound came out at first. He couldn’t think of any legitimate reason he should get the noodles for so little. Soon the sound came, hesitant and shaky as he tried to think of made up reasons why he should pay so little for the noodles. “Well… I… Uh.. Like you said yourself! We’re not at the restaurant! And um… The air.. Is… Bad. It doesn’t taste good, you see. The air.” He nodded to her in affirmation. He had to sell this or he’d surely go hungry. “And that would bring down the quality of the dish, you see. And also I’ll have nowhere to sit and rest while I eat the noodles! Normally a place to sit and a table is included in that price, right? Or the food is brought to your home. Out here I’d have to carry it home myself or eat it on the sidewalk!” His eyes surveyed the area, looking for other reasons the price of the food should be dropped. “And uh… There’s… Flies out here. So that’s not very appetizing.” |
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| PeculiarLilliputian | Feb 6 2015, 12:12 AM Post #10 |
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Sharp green eyes watched with interest as the young man stumbled over his reasoning. It was becoming increasingly hard for the blue-clad woman to not laugh at his uncertainty and obvious grab for whatever reasoning he could make up. Not in a malicious way, of course. This is... quite possibly more adorable than watching baby turtle ducks in the park. Or Fang, when she is resting. Tapping her chin once more, Meizhen nods slowly as the amber-eyed laborer finishes with a mention of flies. She considers his words for a moment before responding. "You have several... creative reasonings for your price. I can say without a hint of doubtfulness that nobody has taken the air being unpalatable into consideration with their meal price." A quiet chuckle escaped the waitress, sounding almost melodious compared to her nearly monotonous voice. "I am not certain such an argument is strong enough to convince me of such a low price, however, Mister..." Pausing, she feigned a shocked expression. "Oh! Pardon me, I do not believe introductions have occurred. Is there a name by which I may address you, sir?" Edited by PeculiarLilliputian, Feb 6 2015, 12:13 AM.
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