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 Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:54 am
[ This is a Private Roleplay between RaiMidori and Aaya-Tan. Please do not post unless invited by either contributor. Thank you! ]
"Dami no stir right! Churn churn!"
"I'm churning, I'm churning!" Dami was currently trying to get some cooking lessons from Xiao. But the fact of the matter is, Chinese food is mainly about technique and NOT about looks. Most chinese food looked gross, actually unless you'd already eaten it prior, and the technique used to cook it was how you were able to make it decent and not throw up over it or over-cook it.
He coughed a few times as smoke billowed into his face as he stir-fried up some of the vegetables. Xiao was doing everything so effortlessly he felt almost like giving her a light drop kick just because she made him feel inadequate. But, she was trying to help him, at least, so that was okay.
He sighed, turning back to his pot and lifting it, shaking the contents and trying to flip it. Sadly, some of the cabbage fell into the fire, creating a horrible burnt smell and causing the fire sprinklers to go off as smoke reached the tiny nozzles.
Xiao shrieked, now soaking to the bone she ran out of the bakery and Dami followed suit, looking down at his person.
Dammit, he'd worn his good shirt today too, a long sleeved shirt under a shorter one over his chest with his fuzz lined green jacket and some large pants that, surprisingly didn't show off too much of his boxer shorts, but due to the shortness of the shirt, that treasure trail of his was visable. He tugged the shirt down, suddenly very self concious about how he looked as he heard a few whistles from passerbys.
Xiao-Li smoothed out her skirt, ringing out her hat and glowering at him,"You lucky Xiao Love you much. Hopeless!"
Dami laughed sheepishly at the heila, and the two sat down until the sprinklers turned off. The food was ruined, but, at least no one got hurt.. He shook out his hair in agitation, hands rising and pushing wet locks up into a berret he had in his backpack that he'd salvaged from the back room on the way out.
Well, at least now no one would know that he had naturally curly hair.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:51 pm
Rai rested her hands on her waist, puffing out gusts of wintery-almost-spring breath. Dusting off her skirt, she was waiting for Iris outside, her winter jacket wrapped around her body. Iris~ she sang in her head jovially, loving the sound of it, the way it'd sound in a song. She'd have to compose one, she was sure. One day.
Iris exited the house, tail behind him, looking as if he had a motor keeping him going, his limbs flying every which way and his eyes brighter than anything else. Rai laughed. Oh, he was so cute.
Taking Rai's hand, Iris lead her to the corner of the street, the whole time humming another song happily. Rai didn't even recognize it, and she laughed.
"What is that song, Iris?" she giggled, thinking it sounded lovely but a little oldschool. A little... off.
Iris burst out laughing.
"It's my own creation~" he crooned, throwing his free hand into the hair happily. "Titled, Ode to Baking Cakes."
Rai snorted, doubling over.
"Why would you need an ode for that?!?" she exclaimed, the bracelets on her left hand tinkling as they hit each other as she spoke.
Iris just smiled, as if she was only joking.
"Xiao would understand," he sighed dreamily, his grip all of a sudden tight on Rai's hand. Wincing, she turned to him.
"Hey, Iris-"
"She's with him again. Why are they always together?" he wailed, pointing one stubby finger to the two soaked figures about a block away.
Rai swallowed, squeezing his hand and quickening her step into a canter.
"Let's find out."
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:56 pm
"You gonna burn store down!" Xiao actually had Dami by the ear, berrating him and causing him to fall to his knees and STILL have to lean over to listen to her scoldings.
Dami, however, saw Rai and Iris approaching and thought 'thank you GOD', as those two were always a good enough distraction from Xiao-Li scolding him!
He waved an arm to the two, "Heeeey!"
Xiao-Li knew only two people he would do that to. That was Rai and Aaya, and both in which were nice people, one being her guardian, the other taking care of her pupil.
Her eyes literally glittered when she spotted Iris, but he looked upset about something. Maybe he'd tried making that dumpling she had given out in the bake sale and it came out bad? It was hard to make, but either way, "Yatta! Iris! Rai! Nihao!"
Dami ruffled Xiao's still drying hair as he stood up, taking his coat off and wrapping it around his waist absently. He needed to sun off, but in so doing, he didn't realize his shirts were litterally sticking to every crevice in his body.
Sadly, it was one of those 'anime cloth stickey bubbly background' type scenerios going on, as the mist from the water spraying behind them actaully did create those tiny rainbows. Luckily Xiao hadn't noticed, or she would have squea'd.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:22 pm
Rai shuddered at the morbid scene. Xiao had Dami by the ear?!? What was this, some Hollywood Horror film? And even worse, Xiao wasn't exactly human. As grotesque as it sounded, it actually looked a little cute. Wait, cute? Cute?!? Rai mentally slapped herself. Her dear Dami was being hurt. Of course it wasn't cute.
Iris, still sobbing beside her, jumped when Dami called them.
"H-heeey~" his voice wavered like a child's, his large eyes boring a hole into the back of Xiao's head. His face lit up the second she turned around, and with a smile, too. Lifting his free hand just a bit, he saluted her, soldier style, hoping it was manly-looking.
Rai just smiled at Dami and followed Iris when she felt the hem of her skirt being tugged, it was Iris's way of saying, 'let's go'. As she looked up, her eyes were met with the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.
"D-Dami...?" Rai stuttered, blinking her eyes in earnest at his perfect build, muscular but not bulky... perfect. She swallowed hard and looked away, a light blush coloring her cheeks.
"W-what brings you guys out here?" she explored carefully, trying so hard not to bring her eyes back. And the rainbows. Oh, god, the rainbows. She was about to keel over in happiness.
Iris eyed her wryly.
And she thought I was lovestruck.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:29 pm
"Ah! Strong Iris man! Good see you!" she didn't notice the salut much, Xiao-Li just went straight for a hug on the poor Heila, squeezing him tight almost lifting him off the ground and turning to face Dami as he finally shook out his hair.
Already the ponytail turned into small ringlets, and the hair around his face and eyes was turning wavy. The water still weighed it down, so it was a little longer around his face.
Ah well, at least he didn't look like a drowned rat, "Well, I DO work here, Rai... Haha, and... Xiao-Li was trying to teach me how to make something other than Ramen.. I almost got it! .... Almost.... And.. I accidently set off the sprinklers..."
He shuddered at the pre-spring cold air and sighed, turning his eyes back to her, "And what about you two?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:39 pm
Iris suppressed a jump for joy. Xiao had called him, 'Strong Iris man.' He was seriously on Cloud Nine, two hands over his beating heart. He was shivering on his spot, with half a mind to stay and feel this feeling and the other half to simply go up to Xiao and embrace her. To Rai's amusement, he chose the latter and Xiao followed up.
"Xiaoooo~" he sang, mentally reminding himself to make her a song, too. It would be jumpy and would have to have the words, 'passion', 'luff' and 'innocent china man running down the street.'
He could almost hear it already!
Rai giggled at Dami's appearance, still trying hard not to look down at the beautiful statuesque contours of his body.
"Really? I can only make a few desserts now and then... nothing too hard at all," she thought to herself absentmindedly. Dami must've been pretty desperate to try and learn something from Xiao. She winced inwardly. Yeeek.
"We were just coming for a walk, and I wanted to check up on you guys, too. See what was going on, you know. The bakery was on the way," she laughed pleasantly, rummaging around her bag for a towel or something he could dry his hair with.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:46 pm
"Yes yes?" but she was soon encased in a hug! She laughed a but, lifting her hands and giving his horns a light ruffle, shaking her head at the silly pupil.
Of course she was as oblivious to Iris' affections as Dami was. The two were made to be guardian and Heila with how similar their personalities were for the most part. She turned around to face Dami as he shook out his hair, turning his head quickly side to side.
She yelped when she was sprayed, huffing at him and stealing his hat, she threw it back into the shop. That's what he got for getting her wet just when she had finally dried off!
Dami whined, "Xi-Xi! That's my stinkin' favorite hat! Big fuzzy meanie..." he had to crawl around a few potted plants, using the leaves as a cover to grab and drag the hat out of the shop, now somewhat overflowing with water. The sprinklers hadn't turned off yet since it WAS a bakery and fires were more likely. He turned back to Rai as he started wringing out his hat, grinning a bit, "Well, I just wanted to make something other than ramen or a sandwhich. I didn't need to be eating anymore sweets or I'll get a gut! And I don't want a gut!"
He laughed a bit at his own silliness slightly before putting his hat back on his head, now wrinkled and strung but, still effective. He sighed as he felt the sunlight warming what bits of skin were visable from the clothing, eyes sliding shut as it dried out what was left of wet spots on his clothing, "Checking up on us? Oh, you mean Iris wanted to see Xiao-Li again, huh?" he teased a little bit.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:33 pm
Iris giggled, feeling woozy from the total awesomeness of the scene. Oh, how he loved Xiao. She was just so... great. He sighed into her shoulder- he'd totally make 89798729879 breakfasts just to let this moment last... his heart was jumping, his tail was flicking about, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He had been waiting for this moment, secretly.
Rai was trying hard not to snort at the two, Iris obviously on edge and Xiao so clueless. Turning her attention, instead, to Dami, she was amazed at his feat with the leaves, though she wasn't sure how to voice her opinions aloud, not in a way she could do. Sighing, she shifted her weight from foot to foot, laughing at his comment. Big fuzzy? Oh, he was so cute, like Iris, almost.
"I'd like to try your sweets sometime, Dami," she explored casually, peering over his shoulder into the bakery that looked like the very epitome of chaos.
"If... that stops," she chuckled, pointing a finger at the watery mess.
She hesitated when he assumed it was just for Iris, laughing nervously.
"A-actually, it wasn't just Iris. I wanted to come, too. To see you."
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:23 pm
Xiao tilted her head a bit, feeling him going into such a state she thought maybe he was unwell. She frowned slightly, lifting her hand to press it against his forehead and examine the other Heila. He didn't have a fever, but he was blushing a bit, "Nee nee, Iris feel well?"
Her brow knit upward slightly. If he wasn't feeling well, she didn't want him wandering around hugging her wet self! She fussed over him a moment, teasing him by tugging his cap down over his eyes and turning her eyes over toward Dami and Rai her brow quirked up slightly. Those two were mighty cozy...
Dami smiled slightly, "It should stop soo- Oh there it goes!"
As he had spoke, it seemed like it automatically dropped down to a tiny drizzle, and then stopped entirely. He came in carefully, "C'mon, Xiao, let's clean up in back, it's probably a mess now..."
Xiao nodded, moving over toward the door she looked over her shoulder at the two, nodding her head into the shop to come along. She and Dami both cleaned up the pots and pans they'd used, throwing away the ruined food and placing up signs everywhere. Dami managed to get a few mops and started cleaning up the mess. The stove would need to be relight most likely, and he frowned. He didn't like dealing with a gas stove, it was dangerous.
He mopped up behind the counter, twitching at a droplet of water on his nose as the nozzle gave it's last bit of water to the floor. He frowned, going crosseyed for a moment and then tilting his head back to glower at the nozzle like it would actually offend it.
Though all of this happened in time for her to admit to wanting to see him, of course. He lowered his head, brows lifted and a surprised expression reading across his face, "See me? What, I'm just that silly, huh?" he laughed slightly and shrugged a shoulder.
Poor oblivious Dami.
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:23 am
With Xiao tending to him, Iris almost didn't hear what she was saying- she was worried, oh so worried for her strong Iris man. He wondered if he really did look that sick, frowning. Was he that obvious? Correcting his stance into something straighter, manlier, he took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
"Xiao, Xiao- Look, I'm fine, okay?" he admitted sheepishly, still secretly loving the sound of her sweet name on his tongue. He squeezed his eyes closed. Was there any way he could tell her...? Glancing over to Rai while biting his lip, he found that she was also caught up in her own romantic fantasty, moon eyes and drool over that Dami bloke.
He rolled his eyes inwardly as he followed Xiao in, busying himself with a smaller mop in the corner, trying hard not to think about his predicament.
At the other side of the bakery, Rai shuffled like another busy-body, surveying the mess with a strange maternal instinct. Clucking at the destruction, she cleaned up bit by bit, occasionally glancing up with a weary eye at the sprinklers.
She shivered into her jacket, wanting so much to say something to Dami, but finding all things she had in mind useless bits of small talk.
Defeated, she stared at him, reveling in the way he always knew exactly what to do and never got in anyone else's way. He had a subtle strength, she noted pleasantly, wishing that she'd never have to look away.
She had always known it, but the first time she admitted it to herself it sounded eccentric.
He was beautiful.
"Y-you are," she smiled at him, eyes glittering from across the counter. "But you're really nice to be around, too- you're just... I feel like there's nothing you can't do, you know? You're like, I dunno, Superman or something." she laughed, wondering how much longer she would have to beat around the bush.
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Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:49 am
"Iris act strange," Xiao frowned slightly as he denied it, though the hands on her shoulders were a surprise. He'd never taken such an initiative as that, maybe hugging or tugging on her skirt when he was little, but never actually putting his hands on her person.
She lifted hot pink colored eyes to meet his for just a moment and offered a very small, very sweet smile. He was acting strong and all silly lately, but she wasn't going to push her luck. If he wanted her to know, he would tell her, he'd always been open about anything he felt with her before, maybe now that he was older he didn't see the need to treat her like a big sister.
Even though he was technically older. Either way, she lifted a hand, stealing his cap and ruffling his hair underneath before putting it back on his head, "Silly."
Dami continued mopping at the floor silently, listening as Rai spoke. He chuckled faintly, "Superman, huh? I don't know about that... I'm not all that quick," he rubbed at his knee silently, as though reliving a small memory, then shook his head, "I used to be, though. Used to be the fastest on the track team in middle school and early highschool."
He pushed the mop around on the floor, cleaning up behind the counter, he watched her once more and laughed, "I'd like to think I was stronger than a million and seventy men... But I think being able to bench about 200 lbs is good enough for me," even he had to show off a little bit. Feeling like a dork, he grinned and actually flexed his bicepts for Rai to see.
And there was a lot to see, his arms might look lean, but as he did flex, the muscles seemed to pop up out of nowhere. He did have one of those subtle strengths in his own way.
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Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:26 pm
Iris leaned in onto his mop, the wood creaking a bit under his weight, the handle jutting rudely into his stomach. Sighing, he went over and over Xiao's words, the feel of her hand on his head. He was still a child to her, wasn't he? Just a big baby to take care of. He didn't want that, he never wanted that. But she was just... she was older, and that was what older people did, right? Reveling in the warmth of her smile, he felt the butterflies already rising in his stomach, and as if by some magic touch he knew he could hold it in no longer.
He would tell her, and it would have to be today. Glacing over at the other side of the bakery, he counted down the minutes to seconds that he could wait, and then, almost being propelled by a strange magnetic force, he propped the mop on one glass window and starting walking toward her, eyes fierce.
He knew what he had to do.
Meanwhile, Rai had run out of tasks to do and settled for watching Dami, instead, pulling out a chair that had stayed miraculously dry, protected in the corner by an overhanging shelf. Staring into his eyes from afar, she felt like the silent girl she used to be, overshadowing everything in the corner, chain swinging the day away.
"What happened?" she started, following his hand that had only momentarily touched his knee. How she wanted, at that moment, to reach out and cup his face in her hands and stare into those endless eyes, offer him a piece of happiness, all that she had to give...
She shook her head madly. No, that wasn't it. He just looked a little sad, was all...
Turning to him, she rested her head in her hands, staring up at him like a child. Eyes growing wide at the quite spontaneous show of muscle, she twitched in her chair, not quite expecting any of it.
"That's... that's amazing. You must work hard," she remarked, more speechless than anything.
How could have someone so strong been working in a bakery this whole time?!?
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Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:27 am
Xiao-Li had no idea his feelings were any more than just a friend with another. She merely though that he enjoyed her company, enjoyed being taught the wonderful skills of cooking, as they had done a few times already.
Her head lifted when she heard it soon grow quiet, checking to see she wasn't alone in the shop, her eyes blinked a few times in suprise at her companion. He was heading right over to her, and he looked almost angry!
Had she said something wrong again? She frowned slightly, she didn't like hurting Iris, he and Cirre were her all time favorite Heila people. They were sweet yougn Heila with nothing more than a want to cook and be all that they could, and when they were upset and it was her fault, "Iri-na?"
Dami laughed a bit as Rai seemed to stare at him so.. The question about his past however was met with a small fond smile, as though the memory itself was pleasent, "I was young. Er, really, I'm not old now... But..." he pushed the mop around idly, eyes sliding shut with a small smile, "I was on the track team. Star at the long jump and 100 meter dash. But one day at practice... They were picking the VIP's on the team. My only competition got jealous of me, and sabotaged my shoes. He actually cut the insides and tore the soul a bit. In doing so, they fell apart just as I made it to the edge to jump. I ended up making the bar, but also I crashed my knee against the poles holding the bar up. The jump had been a complete failure, and I landed on my knees on the ground on the other side," he pushed the wet mop around a bit more.
"I tried running the dash for a while after that, but my knee just kept getting worse, so they made me quit. My teammate had been expelled from the school for assault and battery.. Dunno whatever happened to him," he let his eyes slide shut, though he still had a smile. How could he smile? The thing he loved the most, his ability to run, his ability to jump, anything like that, because someone tried to kill him.
He laughed a bit, and then twirling the mop in his fingers he turned his gaze around to face Rai once more, "And that's what happened. Shattered my knee so bad that I had to get it replaced. I can stick magnets on it! Kids love it," he looked down at his knee, and then shook his head with a chuckle, "I can still do some heavy lifting, but not too much too often. Of course that doesn't stop me. I need the money..."
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:19 am
By the time Iris reached the midpoint of the bakery, his heart was already pounding its life away. Holding a hand to his chest, he was already trying as hard as he could to not explode from the stress he was under. Wanting to screamed, he busied himself with making songs (about Xiao) in his head until his speeding pulse would calm down, though that only made it worse. Shivering, he broke into a soft canter so he would reach her sooner and just-- get it over with. She'd probably reject him anyway.
"X-Xiao..." he started out when he had reached her, finding that he had lost all his words the moment his eyes met hers. Stumbling for the right thing to say, to do, he did the first thing that came to his head: throw his arms around her. And as he did it, all the butterflies in the world seemed to be in his stomach, and he was young again, and then older than he would ever be, oh. It was everything to him.
"Xiao, will you listen to me? There's something really, really important I have to say to you." he whispered, holding on to her as if she was all he had ever needed, and in many ways... she was.
On the other side of the bakery, Rai was dumbstruck, taking in each and every one of Dami's words to her heart... and finding the pain within them. Reaching out again instinctively, she placed her hand on his knee and imagined the days when he thought something like this would never happen, and, feeling the nostalgic aura settle over the room and just... that look on his face, the saddest smile she had ever seen. Holding on to his knee, she imagined that young Dami on the field, face shining, proud... and began to cry.
Holding onto the chair, she was bent over, free hand clenched and trembling, voice shaking and apologetic. Tears streamed down her face like rain from another day, falling in dark splotches onto the bakery floor, almost like another fire sprinkler, but smaller, less powerful.
"I-I'm sorry," she muttered into her sleeve, hiccuping and staring up at the man she had idolized with a new admiration.
"W-will you let me help out with the b-bakery? I wanna help you, and be of u-use somehow... and though I look like this right now-" she gestured to herself, punctuating it with a dry, bitter laugh. "- I can actually do a few things and bake some desserts, too."
"It's just... i-it may be stupid of me but I just don't want you to b-be doing this alone."
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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:20 pm
He actually kinda ran at her, and for a moment, Xiao-Li tensed up, ready to make a run for it. She didn't realize that Iris meant no harm when he started staring at her so fiercely, running for her so determinedly...
"Uwai!" she almost turned to make a break for it, but he hugged onto her instead of beating her. She opened her eyes one at a time when he spoke, having to strain her ears to hear him, she tilted her head to the side, "Iris okay?"
Dami didn't seem to really notice that she took it to heart so vividly. He blinked a bit when her hand caught a hold of his knee, watching her quietly. She was... She was CRYING?
He instantly panicked, "W-WHOAH! Hey! Don't cry! Please don't cry!"
He waved his hands in front of his person, but sadly she was already tearing up the floor with her soft sobs. He felt horrible! He didn't mean to make her CRY! He bit on his lower lip a second, but she sat up and asked if she could work there with him.
He blinked a few times, "... You... You wanna work here?" he was very surprised to say the least. He didn't know that he had that effect on people, and she mentioned him being alone. He smiled faintly, "No one's in today because the bakery's supposed to be closed... I kinda ain't supposed to be here today... But I don't have a good kitchen at home..." he rubbed the back of his neck, "Usually, Anita and Arma-Marinae are here.."
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