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Post by jin on Feb 16, 2012 23:54:59 GMT -5
Jia leaned forward, eyes trained on the criminally slow clock hanging over his trigonometry instructor’s balding head. There were only five more minutes until the end of class; normal teachers would have called it a day and let their students out early, but nooo, not Mr. Wilson – he would make you stay in your desk even if a pack of angry wolves was mauling your legs off. Jia had accidentally gotten on the old man’s bad side on the first day of class by (repeatedly) calling him ‘Miss’ (it had started as an honest mistake) and had yet to figure out how to escape the proverbial dog house.
The fifteen year old sat up as soon as the monotonous droning about cosines and tangents was pierced by the shrill ringing of an old bell. Jia slid his books into his open bag, scribbling down the weekend’s assignments onto the back of his arm and quickly exiting the room, his sneakers squeaking against the grey linoleum floors.
It was Friday, meaning that he would have a little time to relax before returning to the dreariness that was Eishoff’s Eastern Sector. Despite living there, Jia hated everything about the place, from the roach infested apartments to the seedy streets. Besides, there were no decent dim sum restaurants in the area, and that was something he found it near impossible to live without. Luckily, his older sister had promised to take him to a place within walking distance of the school – the fact that she would be paying only sweetened the offer.
After walking around the campus for a bit, Jia spotted his sister waiting for him on a bench near the student parking lot. Being the loving little brother he was, he decided to greet her the best way he knew how. He quietly crept up behind her, being careful not to step on anything that would give him away. Finally, when he was within reach, Jia grabbed Mei’s shoulders and quickly pulled her backwards.
“Boo~” |
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Post by ios on Feb 17, 2012 0:56:10 GMT -5
Mei huffed, swinging her legs from where she was sitting on the bench.
Jia was late!
She looked around, seeing a few students mill around the school before straightening the black pin in her hair. She needed to get a better pin one of these days. Looking around again, she sighed, brown eyes filled with annoyance. She would have to complain to the office that the teachers abused their students! Who kept their students for this long after school?
In reality, it had only been a few minutes since the final bell rang and Mei was being a tad over dramatic, but she had been there before the final bell rang!
Her English teacher had let her out a few minutes early after all. She pouted, swinging her feet again. They would have to hurry before the restaurant filled up, since it was one of the better places, although she didn’t really mind waiting at the same time.
Mei was after all not all too eager to go home, back home to her grumpy parents and her older brother.
Frown only growing at the thought of her home, she sighed, about to stand up and go look for Jia, when someone pulled her back by her shoulders. Mei yelped, about to scream before realizing who it was.
“Dìdì!” she scolded, shaking her finger. “Don’t scare me like that! Where were you anyway?” Mei huffed, folding her arms. Did all little brothers scare their older sisters like that? The girl paused in her pre tirade, looking at Jia for a moment before tugging on his shirt. A grin slowly grew on her face as an idea blossomed in her head.
“By the way, before we go home!” she proposed out of the blue with a smile on her face, “we’re going shopping for a new shirt for you!” Shopping, especially for her little brother was definitely a better thing to do then to go to that house after a good meal.
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Post by jin on Feb 17, 2012 1:24:56 GMT -5
Jia smirked, walking around the bench to give Mei a quick apologetic hug. No one could ever stay mad at someone who gave them a hug, right? Besides, he couldn't afford to have his big sister mad at him - ever since their brother left home, it was just them against their penny pinching parents.
“Sorry jiejie; I would’ve been here like, forever ago if Mr. Wilson wasn’t such a drill sergeant,” his shrugged, trying to avoid his sister’s disapproving glare. “If we miss dim sum we can mail him a firecracker or something. Oh, and being scared is good for you, it raises your metabolism.”
He wasn’t sure if that was true, but he also wasn’t sure if it wasn’t, so no harm done. Jia gave his shirt a light tug, wondering why Mei approved of him showing his belly in public. As soon as she mentioned going shopping after lunch however, his eyes lit up. He hadn’t been able to get any new clothes since moving, forcing him to alter his clothes every few months to hide the face that he was as poor as he was. It wasn’t all bad though – his ripped cargoes did start a new trend for awhile.
“Like, you know I’d love to, but what’ll we pay with?” Jia asked after reaching into his pockets and pulling out a small ball of grey lint. “I don’t think the stores around here accept gum as payment – those commercials totally lie.” |
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Post by ios on Feb 17, 2012 2:00:57 GMT -5
…Oh darn, her little brother was too cute whenever he gave hugs. Giving him a hug back, she huffed at the reason why he was so late. “Ugh, that jerk of a teacher again? He needs to be less of a grump!” the older sibling declared, her skirts flouncing as she frowned, her hands at her hips. “Well, it’s okay! We can wait for a seat, it’ll be worth it,” she said with a grin, nodding.
Mei paused, then stared at Jia with a mischievous grin, shrugging. “Instead of a firecracker in the mail, why not a firecracker on his seat? It can have an extra-long fuse~”
…What? She was the epitome of what an older sister should be, shh.
Chuckling, she shook her head, hugging her little brother again. “I’m kidding Didi, don’t actually go and do that okay?” Mei paused before staring at Jia with a long stare. “Didi, don’t take this as a chance to scare me every time, okay? I might start to borrow a wok from Mama to guard myself.”
About to turn around and lead her brother to the restaurant, Mei blinked at the question of how they would pay for the new clothes that she had proposed to buy. Looking around, she held up a finger to her lips, signaling that she was about to tell her little brother a secret. “Baba and Mama don’t know, but I’ve been helping at the restaurant we’re going to,” she said with a smile, “I have enough money to buy you some new clothes, so it’s okay!”
She didn't have anything to really spend her money on, besides the occasional snack and skirt, and her little brother needed clothes! What better option then to spend it on her family?
Smiling, she ruffled her brother’s hair. “Just don’t tell them okay?”
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Post by jin on Feb 17, 2012 2:22:19 GMT -5
“I won’t,” he promised, holding up a hand. ...Even though he probably would, if the old man irritated him enough. No one would ever suspect the Chinese kid placed a firecracker on the teacher’s seat! ...Oh wait. “So you can leave mama’s wok at home, okay?”
Jia followed his sister off the school’s sizeable campus, stuffing his hands in his pockets out of habit. He gave his sister a look of surprise when she mentioned taking up a position at the restaurant, amazed that she managed to keep it a secret for so long. He really needed to level up his little brother snooping skills – maybe Mei even had a boyfriend. Boyfriends meant gifts...like, food gifts. He wanted some of that too.
Sadface.
“Cross my lips and hope to die,” Jia nodded, pretending to throw away a key. ...He got that a bit mixed up, but whatever. “Mama and baba would probably start charging us rent if they ever found out anyway. Oh,” a light blush lit his cheeks, “and once I get a job, I’ll pay you back for the clothes. And maybe get you a new hair pin yeah? That thing’s so 2005.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he say Mei without it though, and didn’t know if he’d be able to recognise her with anything else. Regardless, the dumb thing could barely close enough to stay in her hair. |
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Post by ios on Feb 19, 2012 2:22:25 GMT -5
Now that she thought about it, her mama’s wok would be a good thing to carry around as a weapon. That thing was capable of totally knocking someone out!
Moving on…
“Maybe Didi,” she teased before reclipping her black pin again, huffing at how the stupid thing wouldn’t stay in her hair. “You never know, I might just one day whip out Mama’s wok, and some jerk will never see it coming.”
Not that she ever wanted to use it like that, but who knew? “Anyway, let’s go eat!” she cheerfully said, walking with her little brother.
Chuckling softly with a wry grin, Mei nodded along with what Jia said about her penny pinching parents while continuing to walk towards the restaurant. “I wouldn’t expect any less of them,” the older of the siblings commented, shaking her head. “And that’s why I don’t want to tell them.” Pausing for a moment, Mei smiled happily at Jia and nodded. "You would Didi? Xie xie!” she cheered happily when he offered to get her a new pin. “I’d always wear it if you did.”
And she would! She trusted Jia’s taste in fashion after all, and her little brother was sure not to be cheap like her parents who had gotten her the stupid black pin in the first place.
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Post by jin on Feb 19, 2012 2:45:37 GMT -5
"But then you'd get some jerk's blood on mama's wok and we'd be tasting it for weeks," Jia blinked, pulling a face at the very thought. "Unless you washed it...but you know, you're never supposed to wash a wok. She'd get suspicious...~"
Because their mother was an evil harpy who noticed the most insignificant details on everything. But, she wasn't here right now, and the only thing separating them from a satisfying meal was a few more crosswalks. Jia could already taste the savoury sauce of the cheung fun - full sodium soy sauce too! Not that crappy low sodium stuff...
If you were going to eat something unhealthy, at least do it right.
He shot his older sister a quick smile regarding the pin, already beginning to picture the accessory.
"Yup. It'd be a nice one too," he said, "noticeable, but like, not too gaudy - cute, but still elegant - at a reasonable price, but still totally expensive looking."
He would call it the pin of contradictions and it would be awesome. |
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Post by ios on Feb 22, 2012 1:54:49 GMT -5
Mei giggled at the thought then shrugged. “Then I’ll just get a new wok for myself then~ No need for Mama to get mad, right?” She flashed a smile at her brother, crossing the streets, getting closer and closer to their goal of good food. Her smile only grew when she noticed Jia flash a small smile.
Considering the fact that Jia didn’t smile very much, it was one of those things where Mei made it her mental goal to make her little brother laugh and smile as much as she could possibly could. When he did smiled at her, she gave him a brief hug before crossing the street.
Walking into the busy restaurant, she called out greetings to the cook who told her that they would have to wait a bit. “Didi, you don’t mind waiting, right?”
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Post by jin on Feb 22, 2012 23:54:30 GMT -5
“Of course not; as long as it’s good I don’t care how long we have to stand here, ” Jia nodded, leaning against a nearby wall. He stretched, allowing all his joints to pop and crack after doing nothing but sitting in a desk for nearly seven hours. The sounds they made were a bit unappetising, but it still felt really good.
Still mulling over what sort of pin would best suit Mei, Jia’s gaze wandered over the busy dining hall, wondering if anyone was wearing anything that would spark his interest. His eyes settled on a family of four, obviously wealthy by the quality of their clothes (though they seemed to have no idea how to match patterns at all). It took him a few more moments of rude staring before he noticed that a member of that family hadn’t touched any of the food before them. Some close observation finally allowed Jia to realise that the smaller female in the group was in fact, a bot.
He hadn’t ever seen one up close, and everything he knew about the odd things was off the television specials and advertisements that would air once every few weeks. Despite how much they fascinated him, there was still something about the oversized dolls that made him uneasy. Perhaps it was the uncanny way they looked so human, and yet, so...unnaturally perfect.
“...They’re kinda weird, huh jiejie? Those bot things...?” [/size] |
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Post by ios on Feb 28, 2012 0:04:38 GMT -5
Mei smiled happily at that before sitting down, making room for her little brother while looking around. The smell of soy sauce, dumplings and so much more floated around before she noticed her brother staring at a rich couple with a…
Her eyes widened slightly.
A bot…
Those things were…were frightening. Weird was the tip of the iceburg. Mei tilted her head then let loose a small sigh, shaking her head. “I think it’s a little sad,” she said with a huff of her breath, “how they need a bot…” She sat back, letting her head hit the back of the wall.
“Anyway!” she said, cheering up when she noticed the chef motioning to a small space. “Let’s not think about that! Let’s go eat!” Jumping up, she dragged her brother to the spot and promptly sat down.
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Post by jin on Feb 28, 2012 0:42:39 GMT -5
Jia blinked, looking from the seated family to the open table Mei was currently dragging him towards; a much more welcoming sight than one of those bot-things. The ‘wait’ wasn’t much of a wait at all, not that he was complaining. That just meant the turnover was fast, meaning super fresh food for his super empty stomach.
He sat in a red cushioned hair opposite his sister, checking the teapot to see if it had enough tea for both of them. After unwrapping the folded napkin, he absentmindedly began to wipe the inside of two teacups, placing one in front of Mei and pouring her a small amount of jasmine tea.
“The cheung fun and xiao long bao look pretty good, yeah?” Jia asked, trying to sneak a peek at the small plates of food hidden within the metal carts being pushed around. “But...you work here, so you’d know what’s tasty and what isn’t, right? Any recommendations, jiejie?”
--
* cheung fun
** xiao long bao |
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Post by ios on Mar 7, 2012 23:09:45 GMT -5
Mei hummed softly as she bounced on the seats a little, excited for the food to arrive. Thanking her brother for the tea, she sipped for a moment, and then grinned at Jia.
“Everything is usually pretty good here,” she said with a nod, “and I’m not saying that because I work here.” Grinning at him, she swung her legs gently, trying to decide what to do.
“Why don’t you pick Didi? A surprise now and then wouldn’t hurt, right?” She loved surprises! So long as they weren’t from her parents…
[[ Ack, so sorry this took forever! ;3; ]]
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Post by jin on Mar 8, 2012 15:41:28 GMT -5
“...If you’re sure~”
Looking down the list, Jia resisted the urge to order one of everything, knowing that even with Mei’s connection to the restaurant, there was no way she would be able to pay of all of that. Instead, he checked the two dishes he’d mentioned previously, as well as a wide array of desserts, including several different flavours of pudding (he was partial to the mango and black sesame), and his favourite peach buns. Before setting down the list, he glanced back to the savoury options and looked back to his sister with a slight smirk before checking one last item.
Mei had said she liked surprises, right? She was going to love this one.
“All done,” he chirped innocently, waiting for someone to come by.
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Post by ios on Mar 15, 2012 0:57:04 GMT -5
“I’m sure Jin!” Mei replied happily as she swung her feet back and forth. Her little brother had good taste when it came to food anyway~
…As long as he didn’t order the entire menu…She made a mental face at that. Sure her brother had a prankster side to him, but he wasn’t that cruel. She still had to go shopping with him later! Smiling happily at that thought, she began to mentally pick out what was in style this season. Maybe a scarf would suit him? Probably a hat too, a sturdy one to last a long time.
Blinking at Jia, she smiled widely, missing the slight smirk on his face. “Didi, I hope you didn’t order the entire menu~” she hummed as she continued to mentally pick out clothes in her head.
[[dalkfjljldsji'msosorryagain.]]
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Post by jin on Mar 16, 2012 2:44:41 GMT -5
“Of course not jiejie,” Jia replied in a slightly creepy tone. “I wouldn’t dream of it. ‘Sides, we’re still going shopping after this, ‘member?”
A metal cart rattled by shortly after - the woman looked over their checked items and placed what she had at the centre of their table; it seemed like they would be having dessert first. Jia looked over the wiggly blocks of pudding as soon as they were presented, golden eyes scanning for any sort of imperfection. He quickly grabbed the plate of mango and licked the top, leaving Mei to choose between the red bean and taro.
“Dibs!” he announced triumphantly, wiping the condensed milk from his mouth.
Before he could enjoy his prize, the entrée cart rolled past – its handler added two more dishes to the sibling’s table – beef cheung fun and the special dish Jia’s had special ordered for his big sister. It was gelatinous and greyish green with little alien looking bumps on its surface – the one time Jia had tried it, he’d ended up in tears.
“Jiejie, you like sea cucumber, right?” |
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